PM Abdullah Badawi has just announced his new cabinet which includes critic Zaid Ibrahim as Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department serving as de facto law minister. Zaid is likely to be made a senator first before he can take up his new appointment.
The independent-minded Shahrir Samad makes a surprise entry as Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister.
The “world’s longest-serving trade minister”, Rafidah, has been dropped in a major shock. The “AP Queen” is replaced by Muhyiddin.
Other big names dropped are Radzi Sheikh Ahmad, Jamaluddin Jarjis, Tengku Adnan and Azmi Khalid.
It is likely that the major setbacks suffered by the BN in the 8 March general election played a key role in their being dropped. But the new appointments are unlikely to placate Malaysians demanding real and far-reaching change.
With Zam, Rafidah and Samy Vellu all out, we are now left with Nazri to “entertain” us. I wonder what Ahmad Shabery Cheek will be like as Information Minister. Zam will surely be a hard act to follow. 🙂
Ultra nationalists Najib and Hishamuddin retain Defence and Education respectively.
No place for Khairy, though, who probably remains in “the fourth floor”. The suave and adaptable Rais takes over Wisma Putra from Hamid Albar, who moves to Internal Security. Imagine, Muhammad Taib makes a comeback in Rural Development while there’s even a place for Taib Mahmud’s son as Deputy Tourism Minister.
Umno ministers take over from MIC and Gerakan at the Works Ministry and the Energy, Water and Communications Ministry, both of which are responsible for overseeing the award of huge $$$$ infrastructure contracts. Abdullah, meanwhile, clings on to the coveted Finance portfolio.
Correction: Earlier title should not have read “Nazri out”…. Misread Radzi as Nazri. (Silly me – just wishful thinking on my part, perhaps!) Apologies for the slip-up.
So, what do you think of this Cabinet ?
This from Bernama:
PUTRAJAYA, March 18 (Bernama) — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi remains as Minister of Finance while Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop will continue to be Second Finance Minister.
Tan Sri Hj Muhyiddin Yassin has been appointed Minister Of International Trade And Industry replacing Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz, who has been dropped from the Cabinet.
Rafidah is believed to be the world’s longest-serving trade minister, who has been dropped from the Cabinet.
The deputy finance ministers are Datuk Husni Hanadzlah and Datuk Kong Cho Ha.
As for MITI, the deputy ministers are Liew Vui Keong and Jacob Dungau Sagan.
Maybank chief executive officer and President Datuk Amirsham A. Aziz will be appointed senator.
— BERNAMA
The full list:
Prime Minister
Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
Deputy Prime Minister
Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak
Ministers in the Prime Minister’s Department
Tan Sri Bernard Dompok
Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz
Datuk Ahmad Zahid Hamidi
Datuk Mohd Zaid Ibrahim
Datuk Amirsham Abdul Aziz
Deputy Ministers in the Prime Minister’s Department
Datuk Johari Baharom
Datuk Dr Mashitah Ibrahim
Datuk K. Devamany
Datuk Hassan Malik
Finance
Minister – Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
Second Finance Minister – Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop
Deputies – Datuk Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah, Datuk Kong Cho Ha
Defence
Minister – Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak
Deputy – Datuk Wira Abu Seman Yusop
Internal Security and Home Affairs
Minister – Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar
Deputies – Datuk Chor Chee Heong, Senator Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh
Housing and Local Government
Minister -Datuk Ong Ka Chuan
Deputies – Datuk Robert Lau , Datuk Hamzah Zainuddin
Works Minister
Minister – Datuk Mohd Zin Mohamad
Deputy- Datuk Yong Khoon Seng
Energy, Water and Communications
Minister – Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor
Deputy- Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum
Agriculture and Agro-based Industry
Minister – Datuk Mustapa Mohamed
Deputy – Datin Paduka Rohani Abdul Karim
International Trade and Industry
Minister -Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin
Deputies- Loh Wei Keong, Datuk Jacob Dungau Sagan
Foreign Affairs
Minister -Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim
Deputy- Tunku Azlan Abu Bakar
Education
Minister -Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein
Deputies -Datuk Wee Ka Siong, Datuk Razali Ismail
Higher Education
Minister – Datuk Khaled Nordin
Deputies – Khoo Kok Choong, Datuk Idris Harun
Transport
Datuk Ong Tee Keat
Deputy – Anifah Aman
Human Resources
Datuk S. Subramaniam
Deputy- Datuk Noraini Ahmad
Women, Family and Community Development
Minister-Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen
Deputy- Noriah Kasnon
National Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage
Minister- Datuk Shafie Apdal
Deputy-Datuk Teng Boon Soon
Science, Technology and Innovation
Minister- Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili
Deputy- Fadilah Yusof
Entrepreneurial and Cooperative Development
Minister – Datuk Noh Omar
Deputy- Datuk Saiffuddin Abdullah
Natural Resources and Environment
Minister – Datuk Douglas Uggah Embas
Deputy – Datuk Abu Ghapur Salleh
Rural and Regional Development
Minister – Tan Sri Muhammad Muhd Taib
Deputy- Tan Sri Joseph Kurup
Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs
Minister – Datuk Shahrir Samad
Deputy – Jelaing Mersat
Plantation Industries and Commodities
Minister – Datuk Peter Chin Fah Kui
Deputy- Senator A. Kohilan
Youth and Sports
Minister – Datuk Ismail Sabri Yaacob
Deputy – Wee Jack Seng
Health
Minister – Datuk Liow Tiong Lai
Deputy- Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad
Information
Minister – Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek
Deputy- Datuk Tan Lian Hoe
Tourism
Minister – Datuk Azalina Othman
Deputy – Datuk Sulaiman Abdul Rahman Abu Taib
FT
Minister – Datuk Zulhasnan Rafique
Deputy- M. Saravanan
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Sulaiman Abd Rahman, a young shoot, is really his dad’s ‘anchor’ to berth in West Malaysia. If Pak Lah fails to appoint SAR, then (I believe) Taib would stop (supporting) him.
A big surprice in the cabinet. Again more money will be spend.
The first place Do you we have the rite person for the rite job?
Mr anilnetto, keep up the good work.
AS I WROTE YESTERDAY,LETS OUR BIG EAR PM KEEP HIS PEOPLE,SO HIS ILL ADVISE CABINET MINISTER WILL CAUSE OUR FUTURE GOVERMENT IN WAITING CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE FROM THEIR BLUNDERED.WE MIGHT SUFFER A BIT NOW,BUT FOR THE SAKE OF OUR COUNTRY AND FUTURE GENERATION WILL BE CALL AS MALAYSIAN.MALAYSIA FOR ALL MALAYSIAN REGARDLESS RACE.HOPING AND DREAMING THIS WILL HAPPEN ONE DAY.THANKS.RAJ RAMAN.RACE:MALAYSIAN
That Muhammad Muhd Taib is son of Sarawak “King” la brader… Not MM2.
Thank you Pak Lah for fiinally making REAL meaningful changes, Zaid Ibrahim, Sharir Samad are indeed wise choices.
Nazri and MMT in the cabinet…hmmmm….I’m not to sure about this.
All in all the Rakyat is looking forward to this new cabinet.
Come on Yang Berhormat’s…suprise us!
Not a change that is dynamic enough..!!! Some old c*** still returned..??!! Mike Tyson who can’t read english, as Minister in this Globalised World..?? Nazri…?? Aiiyyooh…poor Pak Lah…leading the BN to oblivion.
I would have put in a FEW Barisan Alternative’s MPs as Ministers..!!! Yep…SHOCK the country further BUT win the hearts of the Voters to prove he is real, for CHANGES…!!!
Pak Pin
East Malaysia better wake up You aren’t taken the best share For the Federal Government You delivered nearly 38% Yet you don’t get the cream jobs It is UMNO got the juicy part The coalition partners settled the co-starring roles Some could be just the Dolly in filming Looking good trailing the pack And the surprising part of one who couldn’t read English He comes in through the back door as a Senator The sleeping beauty didn’t click into Viewty To see what he had done to his list It surely spells the end of BN in GE 13 The… Read more »
Oh sorry ! Tengku Adnan has been dropped. Must have mistaken Tunku Azlan for him.
Anyway still not impressive. We need a truly new Prime Minister and Deputy. Zaid and Shahrir will be good choices in that order.
For better reforms and a better Malaysia we probably need a reformist like Anwar Ibrahim to take the helm. Lets see what happens the next few weeks.
Will there be horse trading ?
Zaid Ibrahim is an excellent choice as Law Minister. He calls a spade a spade and does not mince his words. Is Abdullah ready for Zaid Ibrahim or has Zaid been a last minute inclusion for the sake of reforms? Zaid drew flak from the top leadership for being spot on on various issues like the body snatching episode, the temple demolition, the Hindraf and Bersih rallies, conviscation of Bibles and others. He was dropped as an MP for this and sidelined in UMNO. But March 8th changed the political landscape of Malaysia and Zaid is back. He will definately… Read more »
Nazri is IN. You got it wrong. How did that idiot get in?
Miss Muffet is finally out. Don’t let the door hit your a** on the way out. Bye.
Nazri is still in as Minister in PM’s Dept.
Zaid Ibrahim is a good choice, he has shown some consistency during his term as MP. Muyiddin replacing Rafidah, other than Muyiddin being a boring figure, the same old horse replacing another old horse. My take is other country’s trade minister is rejoicing for not having to face this iron lady with laser mouth.
The newly appointed Cabinet members of 2008. is very inspiring. A laudable gesture of ‘Shabas’ to our beloved PM, Pak Lah. Let’s hope for the best of them…
Tengku Adnan has been appointed Sec-Gen of UMNO (and presumably BN)… so much for change. Unfortunately, the high points of the Cabinet (Zaid) are more then drowned by the very low points (Mohd Mohd Taib) and the placing of tainted politicians (Adnan) in important party roles.
A quote from Tengku Adnan is the NST – “So far we know that of the over 10 million registered voters, BN got 4.9 million votes. So we are still getting the majority of votes.” With counting skills like this, he’s obviously the brains of the party.
(if one is at all giving the new line-up the benefit of the doubt) – Unless there are obvious & immediate changes made in the very near future or early, within the next few months on the current policies, benefits & etc. – its going to be back to square one over and over and over again ! Bangsa Malaysia Be Ready….
Peaceout !
Hi, Anil. There is not much of a difference in the line-up actually. Some people were left out & a few new ones joined in. As soon as i heard the announcement, i could only muster a sigh of dismay, disappointment and a feeling of nausea stayed with me for awhile. Its back to square one, over and over again. As you had stressed earlier, some quarters will still continue to make nice fat ang pows through the Works Ministry and the Energy, Water and Communications Ministry’s projects and even in many other Depts. where money is involved. Our only… Read more »
What choice has the PM? Trying out new faces is safer than keeping those who had created doubts in his administration, especially Nazri, M son of M, Hang Tuah and Tengku Adnan. Like the Chinese Saying: No fish, prawn will be just fine. The only new comer that could be respected is Zaid Ibrahim who could understand what should be done unlike Nazri. As time goes by, Nazri will be the pain in the neck for Zaid. Zaid Ibrahim was not in the PM’s good book because of his openness and definitely not to Khairy’s too. It was the eleventh… Read more »
Anil,
It’s definitely a window dressing by Pak Lah. When he resurrected Muhammad Taib’s position into the cabinet, for a person who does not speak English but respect foreign currency notes, this is an insult to the Rakyat