PM announces new Cabinet line-up

Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced his new trimmed cabinet-line up (from 32 to 27 seats) of which more than half are new faces - and has sprung a few surprises.

Abdullah, who retained his Finance portfolio, scrapped the post of parliamentary secretary.

Wanita chief Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz, who is the former International Trade and Industry Minister, has been dropped.

Others who have been axed included Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid (former Natural Resources and Environment Minister), Datuk Seri Radzi Sheikh Ahmad (former Home Affairs Minister), Datuk Seri Dr Jamaluddin Jarjis (former Science, Technology and Innovation Minister) and Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Mansor (former Tourism Minister).

Only 17 of the 32 ministers in the previous cabinet have been retained - with five keeping their old posts while 12 moved to new profolios.

Among them are Dr Rais Yatim, who has been named Foreign Minister and Ong Tee Keat, TransportMinister.

MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting (former Housing and Local Government Minister) asked not to be reappointed so that he could focus his energies on rebuilding the MCA after its disappointing performance in the election.

Abdullah also merged the Home Affairs and Internal Security ministries, saying that they had many overlapping functions, and named former Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar as its minister.

Datuk Mohamed Khaled Nordin, formerly Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development Minister, is now the Higher Education Minister.

Khaled took over the portfolio from Datuk Mustapa Mohamed, who is now the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister.

Umno supreme council member Datuk Shahrir Samad is back in the cabinet as Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister and given a new lease of life just like former Selangor Menteri Besar and Umno information Chief Tan Sri Muhammad Muhd Taib who has been appointed Rural and Regional Development Minister.

Datuk Shahrir last served as a Minister in 1986. Tan Sri Muhammad, who was no fielded, quit as Mentri Besar after he was charged for breaching Australian financial regulations in bringing in huge amount of undeclared cash. He was later acquitted.

Abdullah also appointed two corporate figures, who will be sworn in as senators later today as ministers in the Prime Minister's Department.

They are lawyer Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, the former MP of Kota Baru who was not chosen to contest in the recent general election, and Maybank chief executive officer Datuk Amirsham A. Aziz.

full list:

Prime Minister
Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (Umno)

Deputy Prime Minister
Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak (Umno)

Ministers in the Prime Minister's Department
Tan Sri Bernard Dompok (UPKO)
Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz (Umno)
Datuk Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (Umno)
Datuk Mohd Zaid Ibrahim (Umno)
Datuk Amirsham Abdul Aziz (Umno)

Deputy Ministers in the Prime Minister's Department
Datuk Johari Baharom (Umno)
Datuk Dr Mashitah Ibrahim (Umno)
K. Devamany (MIC)
Datuk Hasan Malek (Umno)

Finance
Minister - Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (Umno)
Second Finance Minister - Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop (Umno)
Deputies - Datuk Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah, (Umno) Datuk Kong Cho Ha (MCA)

Defence
Minister - Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak (Umno)
Deputy - Datuk Wira Abu Seman Yusop (Umno)

Internal Security and Home Affairs
Minister - Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar (Umno)
Deputies - Datuk Chor Chee Heung, (MCA)
Senator Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh (Umno)

Housing and Local Government
Minister - Datuk Ong Ka Chuan (MCA)
Deputies - Datuk Robert Lau (SUPP) Datuk Hamzah Zainuddin (Umno)

Works Minister
Minister - Datuk Mohd Zin Mohamad (Umno)
Deputy - Datuk Yong Khoon Seng (SUPP)

Energy, Water and Communications
Minister - Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor
Deputy - Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum

Agriculture and Agro-based Industry
Minister - Datuk Mustapa Mohamed (Umno)
Deputy - Datin Paduka Rohani Abdul Karim (Umno)

International Trade and Industry
Minister - Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin (Umno)
Deputies - Datuk Liew Vui Keong (LDP) Datuk Jacob Dungau Sagan

Foreign Affairs
Minister - Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim (Umno)
Deputy - Datuk Seri Tengku Azlan Sultan Abu Bakar (Umno)

Education
Minister - Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein (Umno)
Deputies - Datuk Wee Ka Siong, Datuk Razali Ismail (Umno)

Higher Education
Minister - Datuk Khaled Nordin (Umno)
Deputies - Dr Hou Kok Chung (MCA) Datuk Idris Harun (Umno)

Transport
Minister - Datuk Ong Tee Keat (MCA)
Deputy - Datuk Anifah Aman. Update: He has declined the post

Human Resources
Minister - Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam (MIC)
Deputy - Datuk Noraini Ahmad (Umno)

Women, Family and Community Development
Minister - Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen
Deputy - Noriah Kasnon

National Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage
Minister - Datuk Shafie Apdal (Umno)
Deputy - Datuk Teng Boon Soon (MCA)

Science, Technology and Innovation
Minister - Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili
Deputy - Fadilah Yusof

Entrepreneurial and Cooperative Development
Minister - Datuk Noh Omar (Umno)
Deputy - Datuk Saiffuddin Abdullah

Natural Resources and Environment
Minister - Datuk Douglas Unggah Embas (PPB)
Deputy - Datuk Abdul Ghapur Salleh (Umno)

MinisterRural and Regional Development
Minister - Tan Sri Muhammad Muhd Taib (Umno)
Deputy - Tan Sri Joseph Kurup, Joseph Entulu Belaun

Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs
Minister - Datuk Shahrir Samad (Umno)
Deputy - Jelaing Mersat

Plantation Industries and Commodities
Minister - Datuk Peter Chin Fah Kui (SUPP)
Deputy - Senator A. Kohilan Pillay (Gerakan)

Youth and Sports
Minister - Datuk Ismail Sabri Yaacob (Umno)
Deputy - Wee Jeck Seng (MCA)

Health
Minister - Datuk Liow Tiong Lai (MCA)
Deputy - Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad (Umno)

Information
Minister - Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek (Umno)
Deputy - Datuk Tan Lian Hoe (Gerakan)

Tourism
Minister - Datuk Seri Azalina Othman (Umno)
Deputy - Datuk Seri Sulaiman Abdul Rahman Taib (PPB)

Federal Territories
Minister - Datuk Seri Zulhasnan Rafique (Umno)
Deputy - Datuk M. Saravanan (MIC)

Full report here
Go to New Cabinet here