Deputy ministers in a week or two, says Rafizi

PUTRAJAYA: The government will begin looking into the appointment of deputy ministers this week, says economic affairs minister Rafizi Ramli.

At a press conference here today, Rafizi said the deputy ministers will be sworn in most likely in a week or two.

He said the Cabinet had discussed the matter briefly yesterday.

Rafizi said it will be a similar process with the appointments to the Cabinet, with the number of deputy ministers from each party dependent on the number of MPs they have.

“The prime minister will look at the candidates proposed by the party leaders within the unity government to see who fits which portfolio,” he said.

Anwar Ibrahim unveiled his 28-member Cabinet, which is leaner than that of his predecessor, Ismail Sabri Yaakob, on Friday.

Four ministers who were not MPs – Tengku Zafrul Aziz, Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, Zambry Abd Kadir and Na’im Mokhtar – were sworn in as senators before they took up their posts.

Pakatan Harapan has 15 ministers, through PKR, DAP, Amanah and Upko; Barisan Nasional (six, through Umno), Gabungan Parti Sarawak (five, through PBB, PRS and PDP) and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (one, through Sabah Bersatu).

Of the parties, PKR has the most number of ministers with eight, followed by Umno (six), DAP (four), Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (three), Amanah (two), and Sabah Bersatu, Parti Rakyat Sarawak, People’s Democratic Party and Upko (one each). — Free Malaysia Today