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Najib’s new cabinet (Updated 6.55pm)

By N Shashi Kala

April 9, 2009

Updated 6.55pm on 9 April 2009


Najib announces new cabinet line-up today (Pic courtesy of theSun)

PUTRAJAYA, 9 April 2009: Prime Minister (PM) Datuk Seri Najib Razak unveiled his new cabinet today, which he said was a leaner, more dynamic team to help him achieve his concept of “One Malaysia. People First. Performance now.“.

The cabinet now comprises 28 ministers in 25 ministries and 40 deputy ministers, compared with the cabinet under Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s administration, which had 31 ministers in 27 ministries.

As expected, Najib retained the powerful Finance Ministry portfolio, while Umno deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin was made the deputy prime minister.

Muhyiddin, the former international trade and industry minister, was also made education minister.

Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin was conspicuously left out of the cabinet, while his contender for the Youth chief post, Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir, was made deputy international trade and industry minister. Khairy’s deputy in Umno Youth, Datuk Razali Ibrahim, was also appointed a deputy minister, in the youth and sports ministry.

KPI introduced

Najib, in a 3pm announcement at his office, said his cabinet would be in the forefront of serving the people and being responsive to their needs. He also emphasised the importance of leadership based on performance.

To this end, he introduced a key performance indicator (KPI) for the ministries, adding that he would be personally involved in assessing the performance of all his ministers every six months.

Najib said the duty of monitoring the ministries’ KPI would fall to Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon, who was named minister in the prime minister’s department in charge of performance management and unity.

Three others were also named ministers in the PM’s department. They were Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz (in charge of law and Parliament), Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop (Economic Planning Unit), and Mej-Jen (B) Datuk Jamil Khir Baharom (Islamic affairs).


Najib announcing the new line-up, flanked by Muhyiddin (left) and chief secretary to the government
Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan

Umno ministers

The three newly elected Umno vice-presidents were, as predicted, also given ministerships. Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was made the new defence minister; Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein home minister, and Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal rural and regional development minister.

Datuk Mustapa Mohamed, who won the most votes in the recent Umno polls for the supreme council, was made international trade and industry minister.

Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, who recently won the post of Umno Wanita chief, reprised her position as women, family and community development minister. Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen, who held that portfolio under the previous administration, was made tourism minister instead.

Two ministries have been done away with and their responsibilities absorbed into other ministries.

Najib, who was flanked by Muhyiddin and chief secretary to the government Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hasan, also announced the formation of a new ministry known as the energy, green technology and water ministry. The ministry is headed by Datuk Peter Chin Fah Kui.

Dropped and retained

Those dropped from the cabinet were Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar (Home), Datuk Seri Azalina Othman (Tourism), Tan Sri Amirsham A Aziz (Minister in the PM’s Department), Datuk Seri Ong Ka Chuan (Housing and Local Government), Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib (Rural and Regional Development), Datuk Seri Mohd Zin Mohamed (Works), and Datuk Seri Zulhasnan Rafique (Federal Territories).

Datuk Shahrir Samad, who was the domestic trade and consumer affairs minister, had earlier resigned from the cabinet after losing his supreme council position in the recent Umno polls.

Najib retained several ministers who had lost in the Umno elections, namely Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim, who is now the information communication, arts and culture minister, and Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Khaled Nordin, who keeps his post.

Datuk Ahmad Husni Mohamad Hanadzlah, who was deputy finance minister in the previous cabinet, has been promoted to finance minister II. Others among the seven new faces in the cabinet include Datuk Anifah Aman, who is now the foreign minister, and Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin, who is federal territories minister.

Women representation

In terms of women representation, there is no change from before, with only two in the cabinet. But there’s been an increase in the number of women deputy ministers, which now stands at eight. It was five in the previous administration.

After announcing the new cabinet line-up, Najib pointedly refused to take questions from the waiting media, unlike his predecessors Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad who held a press conference after announcing their cabinet.

Instead, Najib quickly left the room, leaving the media scrambling to get a hold of the list of ministers.

The new ministers and deputy ministers will take their oath of office at Istana Negara at 9.30am tomorrow.

PORTFOLIO    MINISTER / Deputy  PARTY  
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak Umno
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin Umno
Finance Minister
Datuk Seri Najib Razak
Finance Minister II Datuk Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah Umno
  Datuk Chor Chee Heung
Datuk Dr Awang Adek Hussin
 
Prime Minister’s Dept Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu  Koon (Unity and Performance Management)
Gerakan
Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz
(Legal and Parliamentary Affairs)
Umno
Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop
(Economic Planning Unit)
Umno
Mej-Jen (B) Datuk Jamil Khir Baharom
(Islamic Religious Affairs)
 
Datuk Liew Vui Keong
Datuk Dr Mashitah Ibrahim
Datuk SK Devamany
Ahmad Maslan
T Murugiah
 
Education Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin

Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong
Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi

Transport Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat
MCA
Datuk Abdul Rahim Bakri
Datuk Robert Lau Hoi Chew


Science, Technology
and Innovation

Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili
Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS)
Fadillah Yusof

Defence Datuk Ahmad Zahid Hamidi
Umno
Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad

Home Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein
Umno
  Datuk Wira Abu Seman Yusop
Jelaing anak Mersat

 
Rural and Regional Development
Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal
Umno

Datuk Hassan Malek
Datuk Joseph Entulu anak
     Belaun

 
Housing and Local Government
Datuk Kong Cho Ha
MCA

Datuk Lajim Ukin

Plantation, Industries
and Commodities
Tan Sri Bernard Dompok
Upko
  Datuk Hamzah Zainudin

Health
Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai
MCA
  Datuk Rosnah Rashid Shirlin

Tourism
Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen
MCA
  Datuk Seri Sulaiman Abdul
     Rahman Abdul Taib


Human Resources
Datuk Dr S Subramaniam
MIC
  Datuk Maznah Mazlan

Natural Resources and Environment Datuk Douglas Unggah Embas
Pesaka Bumiputra
Bersatu (PBB)
  Tan Sri Joseph Kurup

International Trade
and Industry
Datuk Mustapa Mohamed
Umno
  Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir
Datuk Jacob Dungau Sagan


Women, Family and Community Development
Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil
Umno
  Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun
 
Higher Education
Datuk Seri Khaled Nordin
Umno
  Datuk Dr Hou Kok Chung
Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah

 
Information Communication, Arts and Culture
Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim
Umno
  Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum
Senator Heng Seai Kie


Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry
Datuk Noh Omar
Umno
  Datuk Johari Baharum
Datuk Rohani Abdul Karim


Works Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor
Umno
  Datuk Yong Khoon Seng

Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs
Datuk Ismail Sabri Yaakob
Umno
  Datuk Tan Lian Hoe

Youth and Sports
Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek Umno
  Datuk Razali Ibrahim
Wee Jeck Seng


Foreign
Datuk Anifah Aman Umno
  A Kohilan Pillay
Datuk Lee Chee Leong


Federal Territories
Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin Umno
  Datuk M Saravanan
 

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Filed Under: News Tagged With: Cabinet, line-up, Malaysia, ministers, Najib Razak, new, prime minister

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. kip says

    April 10, 2009 at 6:15 am

    The same old faces…. political play again….

    Can’t Malaysia improve on its selection of the cabinet? Like REALLY selecting experts in their field to head the ministry like Singapore does? It would be better if someone who helmed the ministry knew what they were doing instead of “groping” here and there before the “Enlightenment”!

    Haizzz… I guess it is “wait and see” for how the “Performance NOW” will be in the next few months. Really sad…

  2. din haron says

    April 10, 2009 at 8:33 pm

    Rakyat tidak mempunyai pilihan, selain menerima mereka sebagai menteri. Ingat, jangan perjudikan nasib rakyat untuk kepentingan peribadi kamu. Kami rakyat akan memerhatikan tingkah laku kamu.

  3. Andrew says

    May 15, 2013 at 5:59 pm

    I finally surrender. No one can beat Najib. We koyak for another five years.

  4. Kong Kek Kuat says

    May 16, 2013 at 7:24 am

    @ Khairy

    I repeat Rafizi´s invitation to you: Join Pakatan Rakyat. You will not be seen as a katak or a lalang. You look like us, you sound like us… it´s just natural selection. Be on the right side of history. Do something right and earn more universal respect from everyone.

    • Kong Kek Kuat says

      May 16, 2013 at 7:34 am

      @ Khairy

      Now Sports Minister, what next? Transport Minister? Join PR and contribute without limits.

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