THOUGH Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has opted to remain tight-lipped over the highly anticipated Cabinet reshuffle, it is strongly rumoured to take place soon after the Sabah General Election.
With strong hints recently dropped by Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir, insiders from both Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional believe it is inevitable.
"MITI Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Aziz's term as a Senator ends in a month and Umno has also openly lobbied for the ministership, so I think it is sure to take place," said a PH insider.
Recently, during an interview with Bloomberg, Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the party would like to propose that some of the experienced ministers from Umno continue the good work by Zafrul.
However, Zahid said the party would abide by any decision taken by Anwar.
Rumours of a Cabinet reshuffle have been rife since Economy Minister Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli and Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad resigned after the PKR election.
Both ministerial positions are yet to be filled and are being overseen by other ministers.
Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah, who is Finance Minister II oversees the Economy Ministry, while Plantations Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani is looking after Nik Nazmi's old portfolio.
Apart from Zafrul's senatorship, three other ministers - Zambry, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail and Datuk Dr Mohd Naim Mokhtar, who is a Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) will also see their three-year Senate term end in December.
Party insiders believe that the post-Sabah GE reshuffle will give the Prime Minister room to restructure the cabinet based on performance, political pressure, and the need to face the general election expected in late 2026 or early 2027.
Datuk Ewon Benedick, who is the Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister yesterday opened another possible vacancy when he announced his resignation over the position and views expressed by the Attorney General's Chambers (AGC) over the Kota Kinabalu High Court's judgment regarding the Sabah State Special Grant.
Apart from Ewon who is a minister from Sabah, Datuk Amirzan Mohd Ali - the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister is also from there.
While party insiders remain coy on who are those likely to be replaced, they are confident that the reshuffle will open up space for one or two technocratic appointments.
In the current Cabinet a notable technocratic appointment is Amir Hamzah. - November 9, 2025
