KUALA LUMPUR: A new minister and six new deputy ministers took their oath of office and pledge of loyalty and secrecy before Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin at the Istana Negara here yesterday.
TAKING THEIR OATH: Three federal deputy ministers take their oath before the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin at Istana Negara. From left are Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Senator Gan Ping Sieu, Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Richard Riot Jaem and Deputy Agriculture and Ago-based Industries Chua Tee Yong. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak (right) witnesses the swearing-in ceremony. — Bernama photo
They are Minister Datuk Chor Chee Heung (Housing and Local Government) and deputy ministers Senator Datuk G Palanivel (Plantation Industries and Commodities); Senator Datuk Donald Lim (Finance); Senator Datuk Maglin Dennis D’Cruz (Information Communication and Culture); Senator Gan Ping Sieu (Youth and Sports); Datuk Richard Riot Jaem (Foreign) and Chua Tee Yong (Agriculture and Agro-based Industry).
All of them signed the pledge of secrecy before Chief Justice Tun Zaki Tun Azmi, witnessed by Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan.
Also present at the ceremony were Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and leaders of Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties, including MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek, MIC president Datuk Seri S Samy Vellu.
Gerakan president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon, People’s Progressive Party (PPP) president Datuk M Kayveas and Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) organising secretary Datuk Seri Peter Chin Fah Kui.
Chor, 55, an MCA vice-president, was a deputy finance minister. He has been the MP for Alor Setar since 1990 and was chairman of the Klang Port Authority in 2007.
Gan and Chua, who are also from the MCA, D’Cruz, who is from the PPP, and Richard Riot, who is from the SUPP, are new faces appointed as deputy ministers.
Riot has been the MP for Serian in Sarawak since 1990.
Gan, 44, an MCA vice-president, is a lawyer and former state assemblyman for Mengkibol in Johor.
He had won the Outstanding Young Malaysian Award in 2006 for the Political, Legal and Governmental Affairs category.
Chua, 33, an MCA Central Committee member, is an accountant and MP for Labis in Johor. D’Cruz, 54, is a PPP senior vice-president.
Donald Lim and Palanivel have been deputy ministers before. Lim, 55, an MCA vice-president, joined the administration as parliamentary secretary to the Transport Ministry in December 1999.
He last held the post of deputy minister of tourism in March 2008. He was the MP for Petaling Jaya Selatan for three terms.
Palanivel, the MIC deputy president, had joined the administration in 1995 as the parliamentary secretary to the National Unity and Social Development Ministry.
Four years later, he was appointed deputy rural development minister.
The former MP for Hulu Selangor last held the post of deputy women, family and community development minister, until the general election in 2008. — Bernama