KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 27 deputy ministers took their oath of office before the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah at the Istana Negara on Saturday (Dec 10).
The ceremony, held at Balairung Seri Istana Negara or the throne room of the palace, began around 3.10pm with the national anthem Negaraku.
Clad in a military uniform, the King arrived at the throne room at 3.05pm.
Also attending and witnessing the ministers take their oaths of office, loyalty and secrecy were Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, his wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, deputy prime ministers Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof as well as other Cabinet ministers of the unity government.
The deputy ministers took their oaths in groups of seven.
The first group comprised Deputy Finance Ministers Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan and Steven Sim, Deputy Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Rubiah Wang, Deputy Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Siti Aminah Aching, Deputy Economy Minister Datuk Hanifah Hajar Taib, Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Hasbi Habibollah and Deputy Agriculture and Food Security Minister Chan Foong Hin.
They were followed by Akmal Nasrullah Nasir (Local Government Development), Adly Zahari (Defence), Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Mohamad (Works), Datuk Seri Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah (Home), Liew Chin Tong (International Trade and Industry), Datuk Mohammad Yusof Apdal (Higher Education) and Datuk Arthur Joseph Kurup (Science and Technology) were part of the second group to be sworn in.
This was followed by Aiman Athirah Sabu (Women, Family, and Community Development), Fuziah Salleh (Domestic Trade and Cost of Living), Ramkarpal Singh (Law and Institutional Reforms), Datuk Seri Huang Tiong Sii (Natural Resources, Environment, and Climate Change), Saraswathi Kandasami (Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development), Datuk Mohamad Alamin (Foreign Affairs) and Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan (Tourism, Arts and Culture).
Saraswathy Kandasamy and Fuziah were sworn in as senators at the Dewan Negara earlier today, ahead of the oath-taking ceremony.
Teo Nie Ching (Communications and Digital), Lim Hui Ying (Education) Adam Adli Abd Halim (Youth and Sports), Mustapha @ Mohd Yunus Sakmud (Human Resources), Lukanisman Awang Sauni (Health) and Datuk Wilson Ugak Kumbong (Prime Minister’s Department) were the final six to take their oath.
After taking their oaths of office, the ministers then signed the official instrument of appointment, witnessed by Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat and Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali.
The Cabinet ministers were sworn in last Saturday (Dec 3).
On Dec 2, Anwar unveiled a slightly smaller Cabinet than that of his predecessor – naming two Deputy Prime Ministers and 25 ministers.
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