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KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on
Tuesday unveiled a streamlined new Cabinet, dropping veteran
politicians and appointing fresh faces after unprecedented election
losses.
Abdullah was under pressure to rejuvenate his
administration after March 8 polls that saw the Barisan Nasional
coalition lose its two-thirds majority for the first time in four
decades, triggering calls for his resignation.
Veteran trade minister Rafidah Aziz, who had
held the post since 1987, was the biggest casualty of the reshuffle,
which also saw some government critics given influential roles.
“More than half of the Cabinet ministers are
new faces and I hope they can serve the people more effectively and
bring a fresh approach to the country’s administration,”
Abdullah told a press conference.
The premier would not comment on the departure
of Rafidah, who is to be replaced by outgoing agriculture minister
Muhyiddin Yasin.
“I won’t discuss why. I think she should
make way for someone new,” he said.
The premier relinquished his portfolio of
internal security, and outgoing foreign minister Syed Hamid Albar
will run a newly merged home affairs and internal security ministry.
Former arts, culture and heritage minister Rais Yatim will take over
at the foreign ministry.
Abdullah, who won the backing of the ruling
United Malays National Organization (UMNO) last week, reiterated his
insistence on staying in power, saying he had been given “a very
strong mandate.”
“I am not going to shirk my
responsibilities,” he said, adding that in his new term he would
focus on implementing the many projects launched during the outgoing
administration.
He said he was well aware of criticism that he
had plenty of good policies but that his administration was “very
short on implementation.”
Abdullah cut down the size of the Cabinet, which
had been criticized as unwieldy and wasteful, from 90 to 68
positions by dropping the roll call of parliamentary secretaries.
“This means that the ministers and the deputy
ministers will have to be more active in parliament,” he said.
-- AFP
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