Abang Johari (seated, centre) announcing the new cabinet line-up in the presence of the new state cabinet members and State Secretary Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohamad Morshidi Abdul Ghani (seated, right). Photo by Chin Tze Pin
KUCHING: Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg announced a cabinet reshuffle after concluding the PBB ‘Jasamu Dikenangi’ special convention at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching here today.
Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan will be a Deputy Chief Minister effective tomorrow following a swearing-in ceremony before Head of State Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud.
Two assistant ministers who are to be promoted to full ministers are Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah (Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports) and Datuk Talib Zulpilip (Minister in the Chief Minister’s Office – Integrity and Ombudsmen).
Abdullah Saidol (Corporate Affairs) and Snowdan Lawan (Youth and Sports) will be sworn in as assistant ministers.
Abang Johari also announced two new ministries – International Trade and E-Commerce, which is headed by Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh and Education, Science and Technological Research – led by Dato Sri Michael Manyin Jawong.
Ministries that will see a change of name are the Ministry of Rural Electricity and Water Supply; Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports; Ministry of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development; Ministry of Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development and finally, the Ministry of Local Government and Housing.
Apart from heading the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, Abang Johari is also holding additional portfolios, namely Energy Development, Oil and Gas, Digital Economy and Telecommunication, and Kuching Urban Public Transport.
Abang Johari said the reshuffle was timely and necessary to implement policies which he had announced earlier.
“This is a team that will improve all the announcements earlier. It will be effective tomorrow after the swearing-in,” he added.
The swearing-in is scheduled at 2.30pm at the Astana tomorrow.
