PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak today chaired the first cabinet meeting after the reshuffle with the appointment of several new ministers yesterday.

The meeting, that started at about 2.30pm at Perdana Putra here, saw cheerful ministers shaking hands and congratulating each other before proceeding into the meeting room.

The six new cabinet members, namely Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Hamzah Zainudin, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar (Natural Resources and Environment Minister), Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid (Education Minister), attended the meeting.

Also attending the meeting were Senator Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Mohd Salleh Tun Said Keruak (Communication and Multimedia Minister), Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said (Minister in Prime Minister’s Department) and Datuk Seri Ong Ka Chuan (Second International Trade and Industry Minister).

All of them were photographed individually by the Prime Minister’s Office as well as Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM).

Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Wilfred Madius Tangau did not attend the meeting. He is reportedly in Italy.

It was the first cabinet meeting for the four except for two others, namely Azalina, who had held the post of Youth and Sports Minister and Tourism Minister while Ong had been the Housing and Local Government Minister until 2009.

Yesterday, Najib announced the new cabinet line-up at a press conference, dropping Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as Deputy Prime Minister.

He was replaced by Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who also retains his Home Ministry portfolio. – BERNAMA

-http://www.nst.com.my/