By Yee Mei
PUTRAJAYA, Dec 12: After rumours have been adrift about a Cabinet reshuffle, Prime Minister Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim finally put them to rest by announcing a new Cabinet line-up this morning, approximately a year after he took office.
During a press conference livestreamed via Bernama, Anwar announced several changes in the Federal Cabinet line-up.
He said the decision was made after discussions with party leaders in the unity government.
Speaking to the media, Anwar explained that the Cabinet reshuffle was due to the need to change with the times and ministers’ performances.
He elaborated that the reshuffle considered changes in terms of economic growth, cost of living, and international acceptance, which has changed how the Foreign Ministry works.
Anwar also brought up issues concerning higher education, especially with exploring new fields such as artificial intelligence (AI) and digital transformation.
“The swearing-in later today will only involve new ministers and deputies.
“If the Cabinet performs well and there are no outside threats, I don’t see the need to make any more changes (in the line-up) for the next four years until the next election,” he said in the press conference at the Prime Minister’s Office today.
Furthermore, he said, the 20 per cent pay cut for ministers would be maintained, while he would continue not taking a salary as prime minister.
Among the highlights of the announcement are the four new ministries: Energy Transition and Public Utilities, Natural Resources and Sustainability, Communications, and Digital Ministry.
The new ministries resulted from two ministries—the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry and the Communications and Digital Ministry—each being split.
While V. Sivakumar has been dropped as Human Resources Minister, the reshuffle sees Gobind Singh Deo, Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani, Steven Sim Chee Keong, and Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan (appointed Senator) as new ministers.
As for deputy ministers, Ramkarpal Singh Karpal Singh (Prime Minister’s Department—Law and Institutional Reformation) and Datuk Siti Aminah Aching (Plantation Industries and Commodities) were dropped, with Datuk Seri Noraini Ahmad, M. Kulasegaran V. Murugeson, Dato’ Ramanan Ramakrishnan, Wong Kah Woh, and Dr Zulkifli Hasan (appointed Senator) appointed into the Cabinet.
The reshuffle sees the number of ministers and deputy ministers increasing from 28 to 31 and 27 to 29, respectively. Overall, the number of Cabinet members increased from 55 to 60, a total still below the 70 Cabinet members in the previous administration.
The new Federal Cabinet line-up is as follows:
| No. | Ministry | Ministers & Deputies |
| Prime Minister | Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim | |
| Deputy Prime Minister | Dato Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi | |
| Deputy Prime Minister | Dato Sri Fadillah Yusof | |
| 1 | Finance | Minister: Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim
Second Minister: Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizah Deputy: Lim Hui Ying |
| 2 | Rural and Regional Development | Minister: Dato Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi
Deputy: Datuk Rubiah Wang |
| 3 | Energy Transition and Public Utilities | Minister: Dato Sri Fadillah Yusof
Deputy: Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir |
| 4 | Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) | Dr Zaliha Mustafa |
| 5 | Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) | Minister: Dato Setia Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar
Deputy: Dr Zulkifli Hasan |
| 6 | Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reforms) | Minister: Dato Sri Azalina Othman Said
Deputy: M. Kulasegaran V. Murugeson |
| 7 | Transport | Minister: Anthony Loke Siew Fook
Deputy: Datuk Hasbi Habibollah |
| 8 | Agriculture and Food Security | Minister: Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu
Deputy: Datuk Arthur Joseph Kurup |
| 9 | Economy | Minister: Mohd Rafizi Ramli
Deputy: Dato Hanifah Hajar Taib |
| 10 | Local Government Department | Minister: Nga Kor Ming
Deputy: Datuk Aiman Athirah Sabu |
| 11 | Foreign Affairs | Minister: Dato Seri Utama Mohamad Hasan
Deputy: Datuk Mohamad Alamin |
| 12 | Works | Minister: Dato Sri Alexander Nanta Linggi
Deputy: Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan |
| 13 | Home Affairs | Minister: Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail
Deputy: Datuk Seri Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah |
| 14 | Investment, Trade, and Industry | Minister: Tengku Datuk Seri Utama Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz
Deputy: Liew Chin Tong |
| 15 | Defence | Minister: Dato Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin
Deputy: Adly Zahari |
| 16 | Science, Technology, and Innovation | Minister: Chang Lih Kang
Deputy: Dato Mohammad Yusof Apdal |
| 17 | Women, Family, and Community Development | Minister: Dato Sri Nancy Shukri
Deputy: Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad |
| 18 | Natural Resources and Sustainability | Minister: Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad
Deputy: Dato Sri Huang Tiong Sii |
| 19 | Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives | Minister: Datuk Ewon Benedict
Deputy: Dato Ramanan Ramakrishnan |
| 20 | Higher Education | Minister: Dato Seri Diraja Dr Zambry Abd Kadir
Deputy: Datuk Mustapha@Mohd Yunus Sakmud |
| 21 | Tourism, Arts, and Culture | Minister: Dato Sri Tiong King Sing
Deputy: Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan |
| 22 | Communication | Minister: Ahmad Fahmi Mohamed Fadzil
Deputy: Teo Nie Ching |
| 23 | Education | Minister: Fadhlina Sidek
Deputy: Wong Kah Woh |
| 24 | Unity | Minister: Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang
Deputy: Saraswathy Kandasami |
| 25 | Youth and Sports | Minister: Hannah Yeoh Tseow Suan
Deputy: Adam Adli Abd Halim |
| 26 | Domestic Trade and Cost of Living | Minister: Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali
Deputy: Fuziah Salleh |
| 27 | Plantation and Commodities | Minister: Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani
Deputy: Datuk Chan Foong Hin |
| 28 | Health | Minister: Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad
Deputy: Dato Lukanisman Awang Sauni |
| 29 | Digital | Minister: Gobind Singh Deo
Deputy: Datuk Wilson Ugak Kumbong |
| 30 | Human Resources | Minister: Steven Sim Chee Keong
Deputy: Dato Sri Abdul Rahman Mohamad |
— DayakDaily
