KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 9 — Umno’s Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan and DAP’s Steven Sim were both named as deputy finance ministers in the line-up Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim unveiled today.
The Umno secretary-general was the first name to be read from Anwar’s list of deputy ministers who will be sworn in tomorrow afternoon.
Ahmad Maslan was previously deputy finance minister to Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
Aside from the two, other notable appointees include former Melaka chief minister Adly Zahari as the deputy defence minister, Liew Chin Tong as deputy international trade and industry minister, as Umno’s Datuk Seri Shamsul Anuar Nasarah as the deputy home minister.
The appointments appear to be a strategy of check-and-balance as the deputy ministers were from parties different from the ministers who were announced last week.
Pakatan Harapan (PH) as a coalition controls seven portfolios: Agriculture and Food Security (DAP’s Chan Foong Hin as Amanah president Mohamad Sabu’s deputy), Youth and Sports (PKR Youth chief Adam Adli as DAP’s Hannah Yeoh’s deputy), and Communications and Digital (DAP’s Teo Nie Ching as PKR information chief Fahmi Fadzil’s deputy).
Others include Education (DAP’s Lim Hui Ying as PKR Women chief Fadhlina Sidek deputy), Local Government and Development (PKR’s Akmal Nasrullah as DAP’s Nga Kor Ming’s deputy), Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives (PKR vice president Saraswathy Kandasamy as Upko’s Ewon Benedict’s deputy) and Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (PKR’s Fuziah Salleh as Amanah’s Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub’s deputy).
However, Umno was given full control of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, with Kimanis MP Datuk Mohamad Alamin as Datuk Seri Zambry Abd Kadir’s deputy.
The remaining deputy ministers named by the prime minister were:
Deputy Economic Minister – GPS’ Mukah MP Hanifah Taib
Deputy International Trade and Industry Minister – DAP’s Iskandar Puteri MP Liew Chin Tong
Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) – DAP’s Bukit Gelugor MP Ramkarpal Singh
Deputy Defence Minister – Amanah’s Alor Gajah MP Adly Zahari
Deputy Women, Family, and Community Development Minister – Amanah’s Raj Munni Sabu @ Aiman Athirah Al Jundi
Deputy Health Minister – GPS’ Sibuti MP Lukanisman Awang Sauni
Deputy Works Minister – BN’s Lipis MP Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Mohamad
Deputy Tourism, Arts, and Culture Minister – Gabungan Rakyat Sabah’s Batu Sapi MP Khairul Firdaus Akhbar Khan
Deputy Local Government and Development Minister – PKR’s Johor Baru MP Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir
Deputy Higher Education Minister – Warisan’s Lahad Datu MP Mohammad Yusof Apdal
Deputy Human Resources Minister – PKR’s Sepanggar MP Mustapha Sakmud
Deputy Plantation and Commodities Minister – BN’s Beaufort MP Datuk Siti Aminah Aching
Deputy Natural Resources, Environment, and Climate Change Minister – GPS’ Datuk Seri Huang Tiong Sii.
Anwar’s unity government has a total of 55 ministers and deputies, which is nearly a third smaller than the 70 and 71 in Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s administration, respectively.
Previously, Anwar pledged to have a smaller Cabinet and to turn down his monthly salary in a show of solidarity with Malaysians still facing a cost-of-living crisis.
Earlier this week, Anwar also announced that his ministers agreed to take a 20 per cent monthly pay cut in light of the current national economic crisis.
