Leaked list reveals Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohamad’s full cabinet line-up

A list leaked to the Straits Times has revealed Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad’s full Cabinet line-up of 28 ministers and 24 deputy ministers.

Since the Pakatan Harapan’s stunning election victory on 9 May this year, only 14 ministers have been appointed. The announcement of additional Cabinet ministers has been delayed amid internal frictions within the four-party coalition.

In a widely-expected move, several experienced politicians have been appointed to important ministries. Saifuddin Abdullah, a former minister under ex-premier Najib Razak who fell out with him over the 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal, will become Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, a senior ally of Anwar Ibrahim (leader of the party and Mahathir’s successor), will be Minister for Domestic Trade. In a reflection of Mahathir’s desire to strike a regional balance in his Cabinet, the Sabah regional party’s deputy president, Darell Leiking, will be Minister for International Trade while Baru Bian, a member of parliament from the state of Sarawak, will lead the Ministry of Works.

Final confirmation of the Cabinet will only come at the swearing-in ceremony on 2 July, as reported by Channel NewsAsia. However, several Pakatan Harapan MPs have confirmed today that they received calls from PM Mahathir on their Cabinet appointments, as reported by The Star.