Saifuddin Abdullah is M’sia’s new Communications and Multimedia Minister

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has announced his new cabinet lineup and Dato Seri Saifuddin Abdullah has been appointed as the new Communications and Multimedia Minister. The deputy minister is Datuk Zahidi Bin Zainul Abidin.

He replaces Gobind Singh, the former minister who was appointed in May 2018 after the 14th General Elections. All cabinet ministers including Gobind were removed from cabinet following the resignation of Tun Mahathir as Prime Minister. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong had revoked all ministerial appointments under the advice of the Prime Minister in accordance with the Federal Constitution’s Article 43(5) on 24th February 2020.

Saifuddin Abdullah is currently an independent MP of Indera Mahkota, Pahang after he quit PKR along with Azmin Ali and nine other MPs. Prior to his new appointment, he was the Minister of Foreign Affairs. From 2009 to 2013, he was also the Deputy Minister of Higher Education II during the Najib Razak’s administration and between 2008 to 2009, he has also served as the Deputy Minister of Entrepreneur and Co-operatives Development.

Other appointments include YM Tengku Dato Sri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz (to be appointed as Senator) as the Finance Minister and Datuk Seri Ir Dr Wee Ka Siong as the Transport Minister. Meanwhile, Khairy Jamaluddin has been appointed as the new Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation.

There’s no deputy Prime Minister in the current lineup. Instead, there will be four Senior Ministers that will assist the Prime Minister, namely the Minister for International Trade and Industry (Dato Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali), Defence Minister (Dato Sri Ismail Sabri in Yaakob), Works Minister (Dato Sri Haji Fadillah Yusof) and Education Minister (Dr. Mohd Radzi Md Jidin).

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