All 31 new Cabinet ministers were sworn in before the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah at Istana Melawati in Putrajaya today.

Also attending and witnessing the ministers took their oaths of office, loyalty and secrecy was Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah.

The ceremony held at the Balairung Seri or the throne room of the palace began at 3pm with the singing of national anthem Negaraku.

Also present were Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and his wife, Noorainee Abdul Rahman, as well as Inspector-General of Police Abdul Hamid Bador and Chief of Defence Force Affendi Buang.

After taking their oaths, the ministers than signed the official instrument of appointment, witnessed by Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat and Chief Secretary to the Government Mohd Zuki Ali.

The swearing-in ceremony was held following the cabinet announcement made by Muhyiddin yesterday.

The ministers took their oaths in groups, with the first group of seven comprising the four senior ministers namely Azmin Ali (International Trade and Industry Minister), Ismail Sabri (Defence Minister), Fadillah Yusof (Works Minister) and Senator Mohd Radzi Md Jidin (Education Minister).

The other three in the group were Senator Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz (Finance Minister), Wee Ka Siong (Transport Minister) and Maximus Ongkili (Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department - Sabah and Sarawak Affairs).

The second group comprised Ibrahim Tuan Man (Environment Minister), M Saravanan (Human Resource Minister), Rina Mohd Harun (Women and Family Minister), Noraini Ahmad (Higher Education Minister), Mohd Redzuan Md Yusof (Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department - Special Functions), Ronald Kiandee (Agriculture and Food Industry Minister) and Mustapa Mohamed (Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department - Economy).

They were followed by the third group comprising Hamzah Zainuddin (Home Minister), Saifuddin Abdullah (Communications and Multimedia Minister), Zuraida Kamaruddin (Housing and Local Government Minister), Abdul Latiff Ahmad (Rural Development Minister), Annuar Musa (Federal Territories Minister), Reezal Merican Naina Merican (Youth and Sports Minister) and Shamsul Anuar Nasarah (Energy and Natural Resources Minister).

The fourth group consisted of Hishammuddin Hussein (Foreign Minister), Khairy Jamaluddin (Science, Technology and Innovation Minister), Halimah Mohamed Sadique (National Unity Minister), Dr Adham Baba (Health Minister) and Alexander Nanta Linggi (Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister).

The last group of ministers were made up of Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar (Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister), Hajah Nancy Shukri (Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister), Takiyuddin Hassan (Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department - Parliament and Law), Mohd Khairuddin Aman Razali (Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister) and senator Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri (Religious Affairs Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department).

After the ministers, all the 37 deputy ministers were also sworn in before the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

-- BERNAMA

- Bernama