Malaysia's PM Ismail to unveil Cabinet today after King's consent
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KUANTAN • Malaysia's Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob will unveil his new Cabinet line-up today, his office said after the newly appointed premier's audience with the King a day earlier.
The new Cabinet will be sworn in on Monday.
"The swearing-in of federal ministers and deputy federal ministers will take place on Aug 30, at 2.30pm," said the Prime Minister's Office yesterday.
Datuk Seri Ismail, Malaysia's ninth premier, had met the King, Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah, at the Istana Abdulaziz in Kuantan, Pahang, earlier in the day to discuss his proposed Cabinet.
Sultan Abdullah consented to the presentation of the list of new Cabinet members by Mr Ismail, the National Palace said in a statement yesterday.
"During the royal audience which lasted about an hour and 30 minutes, the King accepted the presentation of the new Cabinet list," the statement read.
Mr Ismail was supposed to have presented the list to the King for approval on Wednesday before announcing his team, but the audience was postponed as Sultan Abdullah was in Kuantan.
The meeting took place as Malaysia yesterday logged a record daily high of 24,599 Covid-19 cases and 393 fatalities from the coronavirus, another daily record.
Meanwhile, sources have said that Mr Ismail had been pressed to form a Cabinet before Tuesday as a government needs to be formed in time for Hari Merdeka, Malaysia's Independence Day.
The country has never been without a government during Independence Day.
The new Cabinet line-up is also expected to see a shuffle of certain portfolios between the current ruling coalition's two main parties - Umno and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia - unlike traditional practice where certain portfolios are allocated to certain parties.
The actions of Mr Ismail, Umno's vice-president, are being closely watched as his picks will determine if this is indeed a new Cabinet or a continuation of his predecessor and Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin's legacy.
THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
