Changes To Expect When Najib Reshuffles The Cabinet

After weeks of speculation, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced six new additions to his Cabinet line-up. The announcement was made from the Perdana Putra building here after he chaired the weekly Cabinet meeting.

therakyatpost.com

MCA president Liow Tiong Lai has been named the new transport minister while his deputy Wee Ka Siong has been appointed as minister in the Prime Minister's Department. Gerakan president Mah Siew Keong, who won the recent Teluk Intan by-election, has been made a minister in the PM's Department as well.

Meanwhile, MCA vice-presidents Lee Chee Leong, Chua Tee Yong and Chew Mei Fun were appointed deputy ministers. Lee is now with the International Trade and Industry Ministry, while Chua and Chew are Deputy Finance Minister and Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister respectively.

freemalaysiatoday.com

Contrary to intense speculation, the cabinet reshuffle announced by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak this afternoon in Putrajaya did not involve any Umno ministers. The new reshuffle also saw no minister or deputy minister dropped from the Cabinet, which critics have often criticised as being bloated.

Najib said the Yang di-Pertuan Agong has agreed for the swearing-in of the new cabinet members this Friday at Istana Negara. “I’m confident the new Cabinet will continue to serve the people diligently,” he said.

freemalaysiatoday.com

Datuk Seri Najib Razak has denied knowledge of a Cabinet reshuffle despite sources yesterday saying the prime minister is expected to add several Barisan Nasional (BN) MPs into his fold this Friday.

themalaysianinsider.com

“I'm not aware,” Bernama quoted him yesterday when asked on a report by news outlets on the matter.

themalaysianinsider.com

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak is expected to shuffle his Cabinet within the next few days with the addition of members from MCA and Gerakan, sources said.

freemalaysiatoday.com

The new line-up could be announced as early as Friday and latest after Hari Raya which is expected to fall on July 28.

themalaymailonline.com

“Najib knows he needs to revitalise his Cabinet and what better way than to move his ministers around,” said a party official.

themalaymailonline.com

“This may in fact be the opportunity that Najib has been waiting for to get rid of some deadwood,” said a pundit who spoke on condition of anonymity. “But then again, this could be Najib’s indication to Malaysians that the Chinese are shifting their support back to BN and he is thanking them. Or it could just be that he is merely filling up vacancies.”

freemalaysiatoday.com

“It is very hard to second-guess the PM. He is so tight-lipped but he may have to respond to simmering unhappiness among Umno members about some of these ministers,” said the source.

Najib is expected to fill up four vacant posts since GE-13 including the Minister of Transport post, which is now being temporarily held by Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein. Three more vacancies are deputy minister posts for the Finance Ministry, Tourism Ministry and the Prime Minister’s Department.

astroawani.com

Najib is unlikely to expand the Cabinet to accommodate demands for posts. The present Cabinet is already bloated with 32 ministers and 26 deputy ministers.

Liow is widely expected to be made Transport Minister in the re-entry of MCA into the federal administration. MCA No. 2 Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong would under normal circumstances be a minister but is now expected to be made Deputy Finance Minister which is said to be the most senior post for a deputy minister.

Mah is likely to be offered his predecessor’s old post of being the minister in charge of Pemandu and other red tape-cutting portfolios presently held by Datuk Paul Low. Officially, Mah will be Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department. With the entry of Mah and Liow, the Barisan Cabinet will have a total of three Chinese representatives.

Word has it that the Prime Minister is considering Hishammuddin for the Finance Minister’s post which Najib has held since September 2008 when he was still Deputy Prime Minister under Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. Hishammuddin now holds the Defence portfolio and is also acting Transport Minister — a post Najib asked him to hold on to while waiting for the MCA to decide on rejoining the Cabinet.

themalaymailonline.com

Home Minister Zahid could see a return to the Defence portfolio — a position that he thoroughly enjoyed and excelled prior to the 13th general election last year.

themalaymailonline.com

Najib is said to want to take over the Home Ministry which he has never helmed in his long political career.

themalaymailonline.com

According to the report based on sources, no ministers will be dropped following the reshuffle.

astroawani.com

A couple of Umno ministers who are underperforming are expected to be dropped. Sources said one of them holds a senior party post and is expected to be asked to concentrate on administering Umno to get it ready for the next general election.

themalaymailonline.com

The other Umno minister is likely to be replaced by his home state menteri besar who is well-liked by Najib. The state leader has served several terms as menteri besar and is said to be well-qualified to be a minister, especially in the economic field.

Trouble, however, is brewing in the MIC with party president Datuk Seri G. Palanivel and his deputy Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam at odds with each other. It seems the truce which Najib personally brokered last year is an uneasy one whereby Palanivel was supposed to hold the presidency for only one term before Subramaniam took over. Party sources said the supporters of the two leaders had been lobbying Najib to drop their man’s opponent in the reshuffle.

Najib will also have to take cognizance that there is now a new man at the helm in Sarawak and may move some of Tan Sri Adenan Satem’s supporters in the federal line-up. He will also have to take into consideration the formation of Teras — a new political party — and the crossover of 11 elected representatives from various Barisan component parties in Sarawak.

Najib will probably not move any of the six ministers from Sarawak but would probably look at the deputy ministers. Sabah will also not be affected by this exercise with Umno so deeply entrenched in the state and well-represented in several senior posts.

Several ministers said despite the speculation of an imminent reshuffle, the Prime Minister had not spoken about it during weekly meetings. “We are also anxious to know whether we will be staying on at our ministries or if we will be given new portfolios or be dropped,” said one minister who wished not to be named.