PUTRAJAYA - Malaysia's Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has said that Datuk Seri Azmin Ali, one of the four senior ministers, will chair the Cabinet whenever he is absent.

"Senior ministers are all equal," Tan Sri Muhyiddin, 72, told reporters at the Prime Minister's Office on Wednesday (March 11), as quoted by Free Malaysia Today (FMT) online news. "In my absence, Azmin will chair my Cabinet. If Azmin is absent, Ismail Sabri will chair."

The Premier's comments appeared to underline that though Mr Muhyiddin didn't appoint a deputy prime minister in his Cabinet announced on Monday, Mr Azmin is the most senior official after him, followed by Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaacob.

Mr Azmin, 55, who was deputy president of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), recently joined Mr Muhyiddin's Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) with nine other former PKR MPs.

Mr Ismail, 60, is one of the three vice-presidents of Umno, the party with the most MPs in the governing Perikatan Nasional alliance.

The other two senior ministers are Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof from Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) and Bersatu information chief Radzi Jidin.

Mr Azmin is today the international trade and industry minister and senior minister in charge of the economy.

Mr Ismail Sabri is defence minister and senior minister in charge of security.

Mr Fadillah, 57, is works minister and senior minister in charge of infrastructure development.

Bersatu information chief Mr Radzi was appointed senior minister of education, coordinating social affairs.

Meanwhile, PM Muhyiddin said that he is willing to take a salary cut to reduce government spending, adding that he would be the first to take up this challenge in the newly formed Cabinet, FMT quoted him as saying.

This followed criticisms that the PN government has a total of 69 ministers and deputy ministers, compared to 50 in the previous Pakatan Harapan (PH) administration.

"I will take up that challenge... for my salary to be cut by 5-10 per cent. I can do it first. I think we (Cabinet members) can all do that," Mr Muhyiddin said.

He said his 31 ministers and 38 deputy ministers would be declaring their assets to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission within a month, FMT reported.

All ministers and deputy ministers of the PH government had also all declared their assets.