KUALA LUMPUR: DEC.3: Twenty-five new Cabinet Ministers and two Deputy Ministers of the Unity Government announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim yesterday have been sworn in before Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah at Istana Negara today.
Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah was also present at the sworn in and taking of the oath of office, loyalty and secrecy by the new Cabinet Ministers.
Also in attendance were Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his wife, Datuk Seri Dr. Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani and Royal Malaysian Air Force Chief, General Tan Sri Mohd Asghar Khan Goriman Khan.
Meanwhile, the two Deputy Prime Ministers, Datuk Seri Dr. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi who is holding the portfolio of Rural and Regional Development Minister while Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof with the portfolio as Minister of Plantation and Commodities were the first to take their oath of office.
Among the new Cabinet Ministers who had sworn in before His Majesty Al-Sultan Abdullah today were five females holding key portfolios namely Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri as the Minister of Women, Family and Community Development; Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said as Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform); Hannah Yeoh as Minister of Youth and Sports; Fadhlina Sidek as Minister of Education and Dr.Zaliha Mustafa as Minister of Health.
In another development, many netizens including politicians and leaders from the national sports bodies expressed their happiness with the appointment of Hannah Yeoh as Minister of Youth and Sports.
Most of them are looking forward for Hannah Yeoh to come up with a new spirit and sports programmes for the national athletes to move forward in their careers.
President, Paralympic Council of Malaysia, Datuk Seri Megat D. Shahriman Zaharuddin hopes the new Minister of Youth and Sports will support and empower the paralympic sports.
The netizens also congratulated Hannah Yeoh for being appointed as the Minister of Youth and Sports that is normally held by the males.
Hannah Yeoh is the second female politician besides Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said who had been appointed to the portfolio in 2004.
The Minister of Health, Dr. Zaliha is not new in the medical world as she began her career as a doctor at Sultanah Aminah Hospital in Johor Baru from 1989 to 1990 and later served as a medical officer at Pekan District Hospital in Pahang for 10 months.
Dr.Zaliha has worked as a medical officer at Taiping District for more than two years before returning to Johor in 1995 and working in a private clinic under Kumpulan Perubatan Penawar. She then opened her own clinic in Bandar Putra Kulai as quoted by Bernama.
The appointment of Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri as the Minister of Women, Family and Community Development has made the Santubong Member of Parliament the longest serving female minister from Sarawak starting from May 2013 as minister in the prime minister’s department until April 2018.
Nancy 61, also held the position of tourism, arts and culture minister from March 2020 to November 2022.
For Datuk Seri Azalina, she is a person with vast experience and has helmed various ministries since 2004.
The Pengerang Member of Parliament became the first woman to be appointed as the Minister of Youth and Sports in 2004 and the first woman appointed as Deputy Speaker of Dewan Rakyat in 2020.
Azalina was also the tourism minister from 2008 to 2009 and minister in the prime minister’s department (legal affairs) from 2015 to 2018.
The new Minister of Education, Fadlina Sidek began her political career in 2020 when she joined PKR and appointed as PKR Women’s Legal and Community Development Bureau chairman, before she was elected PKR Women leader in July this year. She is also a Dewan Negara member, appointed on Sept. 1 2021 to represent the Penang State Assembly.
Fadhlina Sidek’s experience as an activist and lawyer in Islamic family law and child welfare is seen as an asset that will help her in discharging her duties as the Minister of Education.
According to media report, before being active in politics, Fadhlina, 45, who has her own syarie law firm, was engaged in creating legal literacy in Islamic family law, as well as child protection and safety.
Fadhlina contested in Nibong Tebal in the 15th General Election and defeated the incumbent Datuk Mansor Othman of Perikatan Nasional (PN) with a majority of 16,293 votes. – Malaysia World News
