Malaysia PM Ismail Sabri names 4 senior ministers in new Cabinet; no DPM appointed

Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob unveiled a Cabinet line-up with four senior ministers on Friday (Aug 27). 

(Channel News Asia) – No deputy prime minister has been appointed.

• Many of the ministers have been retained from the Muhyiddin-Yassin led Cabinet
• Among the senior ministers, Mr Mohamed Azmin Ali keeps his trade portfolio while Mr Hishammudin Hussein will now oversee defence
• Senator Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz has retained his finance minister portfolio
• Mr Khairy Jamaluddin, who oversaw Malaysia’s COVID-19 vaccination programme, will now serve as health minister

The four senior ministers are Mr Mohamed Azmin Ali from Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu), Mr Hishammuddin Hussein from United Malays National Organisation, Dr Mohd Radzi Md Jidin and from Bersatu as well as Mr Fadillah Yusof of Gabungan Parti Sarawak.

Mr Mohamed Azmin remained as international trade and industry minister. Dr Mohd Radzi and Mr Fadillah also keep their education and work portfolios respectively.

Mr Hishammuddin, who was the foreign minister, will now serve as defence minister.

All four of them also served as senior ministers in the Muhyiddin Yassin-led Cabinet. Quite a few ministers in Mr Muhyiddin’s Cabinet were also included in the new line-up.

Senator Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz has retained his finance minister portfolio.

Mr Khairy Jamaluddin, the former minister of science, technology and innovation who also oversaw the country’s vaccination programme, will now serve as health minister.

Former health minister Adham Baba will now take over the science technology and innovation portfolio.

Mr Saifuddin Abdullah, who served as foreign minister during the Pakatan Harapan (PH) administration, will again be in charge of foreign affairs.

The prime minister, in his televised speech announcing the line-up, said he would ensure that this Cabinet emphasizes a high-performance work culture.

“Therefore, each ministry needs to make short-term and long-term planning and achieve the targets. For that, each ministry needs to prove its initial achievement within the first 100 days,” he said.