Malaysia’s Anwar reshuffles cabinet to focus on ‘stronger growth’
The changes come after months of pressure on his government, sparked by several key resignations and rising inflation
The changes follow months of mounting political pressure on Anwar’s government, triggered by his close allies’ resignations, internal party bickering and persistent cost of living concerns.
“This is about fine-tuning so the cabinet works as a team and focuses on generating stronger growth and solving people’s problems,” Anwar told reporters during a brief announcement.
With the reshuffle, there will be 10 new ministers, 18 deputy ministers and 14 ministers reassigned to different portfolios. It comes after several high-profile ministerial exits earlier this year.
Economy minister Rafizi Ramli and environment minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, both prominent figures from Anwar’s Parti Keadilan Rakyat, resigned within hours of each other in June after they lost in a party election.
Trade minister Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz left office in early December after his term ended and became chairman of the Malaysian Investment Development Authority, the agency responsible for attracting investments from foreign and domestic businesses.