KUALA LUMPUR – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob is expected to announce his new cabinet line-up by 11am tomorrow.
A brief statement by an aide to the prime minister also added that the swearing-in ceremony of ministers and deputy ministers is set to take place on Monday at 2.30pm.
Earlier today, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong met the freshly minted prime minister at Istana Abdulaziz in Kuantan for 90 minutes to discuss the cabinet line-up.
Istana Negara, in a Facebook post, said Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah and Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah also had lunch with the Bera MP.
The cabinet list is a long-awaited one as speculation of behind-the-scenes dealings have been rife since the swearing-in last Saturday.
Previously, The Vibes reported that, prior to today’s royal audience, the wrangling and last-minute lobbying for positions under the Umno vice-president’s stewardship is still ongoing and expected to last until the eleventh hour.
Of particular interest will be the position of deputy prime minister, with several Bersatu leaders said to be fighting over the post.
In the Bersatu camp, multiple sources have confirmed that three party leaders are gunning for the deputy prime minister’s post, including secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin, Supreme Council members Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali and Datuk Seri Mohd Redzuan Md Yusof.
For the record, former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s cabinet included 70 people.
There were 31 ministries in Muhyiddin’s Perikatan Nasional administration, which comprised 32 ministers and 38 deputies, with four senior ministers.
Some politicians were also appointed to the boards of government-linked companies. – The Vibes, August 26, 2021
