Appointments seen as pat on the back for Sarawak BN for contributing 25 seats in GE13
KUCHING: The state BN has been rewarded with custody over seven ministries and four deputy ministerial posts in
the new federal cabinet announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak yesterday for delivering 25 parliamentary seats to the ruling coalition in the May 5 general election.
The seven full ministers’ appointment for the state is an increase of four compared to the last cabinet.
The full ministers from the state are Dato Sri Douglas Uggah Embas(PBB), Senator Datuk Seri Idris Jala, Datuk Joseph Entulu Belaun (PRS), Datuk Richard Riot Jaem (SUPP), Datuk Fadillah Yusof (PBB), Datuk Rohani Abdul Karim(PBB) and Nancy Shukri (PBB).
MY CABINET LINEUP: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Abdul Razak showing his full list of Federal Cabinet members at Perdana Putra building in Putrajaya after receiving the approval from Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah. — Bernama photo
Conversely, there is a decrease in number of Sarawak MPs holding deputy ministerial portfolios this time around compared with seven deputy ministers and a deputy Dewan Rakyat Speaker previously.
The four deputy ministers are Datuk Seri Dr James Dawos Mamit (PBB), Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum (PRS), Datuk Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar (PBB) and Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi (PBB).
Based on party breakdown PBB was given four full minister’s and three deputy ministers’ posts, PRS has one full minister and one deputy minister while SUPP one.
State BN component party SPDP, which won all four seats it contested in the 13th general election, was not given any seat in the new cabinet.
Of the full ministers from Sarawak, three namely Idris, Entulu and Nancy are in the Prime Minister’s Department, while the rest are Uggah (Plantation Industries and Commodities), Fadillah (Works), Riot (Human Resource) and Rohani (Women, Family and Community Development).
The deputy ministers are Wan Junaidi (Home), Salang (Tourism), Dawos (Natural Resources and Environment) and Nanta (Rural and Regional Development).