The New Faces of Malaysia Cabinet

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced his new administration noon today. Seats were reduced from 32 to 27 with more than half are new faces. 'Old' ones like Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz (former International Trade and Industry Minister), Datuk Azmi Khalid (former Home Affairs Minister) and Datuk Dr Jamaluddin Jarjis (former Science, Technology and Innovations Minister) were no longer required to fight along with the new Cabinet comrades.

And just in case you are not up todate with the recent election results, both Samy Vellu and Ong Ka Ting have been defeated. Both have also said that they will not be taking up any position in the Cabinet to revive their respective parties' failures. Not that they can take up Cabinet positions if they ever wanted it but in the announced list today, their names were of course not listed.

As reported by The Edge on their website, the Kuala Lumpur Composite Index ("KLCI") closed 2.27 points lower at 1,1756.26 points. Looks like the new line of Cabinet did not really erase the fear of political instability in the investors' mindset, at least for the first half of the day.

For those who would like to have a glimpse of the new faces, here you go:

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak

Ministers in the Prime Minister's Department Tan Sri Bernard Dompok, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, Datuk Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Datuk Mohd Zaid Ibrahim, Datuk Amirsham Abdul Aziz

Deputy Ministers in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Johari Baharom, Datuk Dr Mashitah Ibrahim, Datuk K. Devamany, Datuk Hassan Malik

Finance
Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
Second Finance Minister Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop
Deputies Datuk Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah, Datuk Kong Cho Ha

Defence
Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak
Deputy Datuk Wira Abu Seman Yusop

Internal Security and Home Affairs
Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar
Deputies Datuk Chor Chee Heong, Senator Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh

Housing and Local Government
Minister Datuk Ong Ka Chuan
Deputies Datuk Robert Lau, Datuk Hamzah Zainuddin

Works Minister
Minister Datuk Mohd Zin Mohamad
Deputy Datuk Yong Khoon Seng

Energy, Water and Communications
Minister Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor
Deputy Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum

Agriculture and Agro-based Industry
Minister Datuk Mustapa Mohamed
Deputy Datin Paduka Rohani Abdul Karim

International Trade and Industry
Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin
Deputies Loh Wei Keong, Datuk Jacob Dungau Sagan

Foreign Affairs
Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim
Deputy Tunku Azlan Abu Bakar

Education
Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein
Deputies Datuk Wee Ka Siong, Datuk Razali Ismail

Higher Education
Minister Datuk Khaled Nordin
Deputies Khoo Kok Choong, Datuk Idris Harun

Transport
Minister Datuk Ong Tee Keat
Deputy Anifah Aman

Human Resources
Minister Datuk S. Subramaniam
Deputy Datuk Noraini Ahmad

Women, Family and Community Development
Minister Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen
Deputy Noriah Kasnon

National Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage
Minister Datuk Shafie Apdal
Deputy Datuk Teng Boon Soon

Science, Technology and Innovation
Minister Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili
Deputy Fadilah Yusof

Entrepreneurial and Cooperative Development
Minister Datuk Noh Omar
Deputy Datuk Saiffuddin Abdullah

Natural Resources and Environment
Minister Datuk Douglas Unggah Embas
Deputy Datuk Abu Ghapur Salleh

Rural and Regional Development
Minister Tan Sri Muhammad Muhd Taib
Deputy Tan Sri Joseph Kurup

Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs
Minister Datuk Shahrir Samad
Deputy Jelaing Mersat

Plantation Industries and Commodities
Minister Datuk Peter Chin Fah Kui
Deputy Senator A. Kohilan

Youth and Sports
Minister Datuk Ismail Sabri Yaacob
Deputy Wee Jack Seng

Health
Minister Datuk Liow Tiong Lai
Deputy Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad

Information
Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek
Deputy Datuk Tan Lian Hoe

Tourism
Minister Datuk Azalina Othman
Deputy Datuk Sulaiman Abdul Rahman Abu Taib

FT
Minister Datuk Zulhasnan Rafique
Deputy M. Saravanan

Good luck to them...