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Pressure is mounting against embattled Terengganu Menteri Besar Ahmad Said to step down from the post which he assumed under controversial circumstances after the general election last year. The number of Umno/BN state representatives who want Ahmad to step down now has increased to 18. Until last week the number of elected Umno representatives against Ahmad stood at 10. BN/Umno has 24 seats in the 32-seat state assembly. The remaining eight are with opposition PAS. alias abdullahBN Terengganu backbenchers club secretary Alias Abdullah (left) today said those opposing Ahmad included several state executive councillor members. “However, I cannot divulge the names of these exco members, (in order) to safeguard their positions,” he told Malaysiakini. With this figure in hand, the group now has sufficient numbers in the assembly to call for a vote of no-confidence against Ahmad. Alias, also the Alor Limbat state representative, added that he would be forwarding this latest development to the Umno top leadership to stabilise the political crisis in the east coast state. He reiterated that the party will make “the best decision for the people’s interests” now that they have stronger support on their side. Palace’s favoured candidate kt by election 070109 ahmad saidAhmad has come under tremendous pressure from his own party members to relinquish the post. Last week 10 Umno elected representatives boycotted the state assembly sitting and only returned to the assembly after being instructed to do so by party chief and Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak. Ahmad replaced Idris Jusoh as the menteri besar last year despite the party leadership preferring the latter. Although Ahmad did not have the support of most elected representatives, he was favoured by the Terengganu palace. Najib last week had separate meetings with Ahmad and Idris to find a solution to the problem in the state. It is learnt that Najib has given Ahmad one month to prove that he has the support to lead the state. Ahmad had also cancelled his official 10-day visit to Russia and Ukraine to sort out the mess in Terengganu. Ahmad loyalist: Detractors are sore losers Meanwhile, state BN backbenchers’ club president Rosol Wahid said all 18 elected representatives would not back down from their call for Ahmad to resign as the menteri besar. rosol wahid”We will not compromise in this matter. We are fighting for the people of Terengganu. His (Ahmad) leadership has caused instability in the party and in the state administration,” said the Ajil assemblyperson (left). “His (poor) administration has been the talk of the town not only among the Umno members, but also with the public,” he said. However, state exco member Yahya Khatib Mohamad when contacted said he had no knowledge of any exco members being involved in the plot to topple Ahmad. In another development, the state Umno secretary and Ahmad Said loyalist Rosli Mat Hassan claimed that the menteri besar’s detractors were all aligned to the former menteri besar Idris Jusoh. “They are all Idris’ men and with their defeats in Umno elections in divisional levels, they are all bitter,” he said, adding that these people had no interest in solving whatever problems they have with Ahmad. Source: Malaysiakini.com
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Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak today announced his much-awaited cabinet which saw many old faces retained and Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin being left out of the line-up.
The cabinet has been slashed from 32 ministers to 28 but the number of deputy ministers increased from 38 to 40.
At the same time, the number of ministries have been reduced from 28 to 25, with the merger of a few portfolios.
There are only six new faces named as full ministers and even then, two were promotions from their deputy minister’s posts. They represented only about 20 percent of the new cabinet.
Najib made his announcement at 3pm and he was flanked by his new deputy Muhyiddin Yassin.
In a brief 15-minute statement before reading out his list, Najib said the cabinet reflected the government’s aim to focus on people-first paradigm.
He said two ministries have been disbanded and their functions absorbed by others.
“A renamed Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water has been established, with a mandate to promote sustainable development and the adoption of green technologies,” he added.
He said that a separate portfolio has also been created to oversee national unity under the PM’s Department.
“This new portfolio will adopt creative approaches towards promoting national unity, in line with the concept of One Malaysia – People First, Performance Now,” he said.
The new premier also added that he would personally evaluate the performance of each minister every six months.
“I will be personally involved in reviewing the progress of all ministers every six months to ensure their performance is on track, and where it is not, work with them and the civil service to ensure that we remove the barriers to their success.”
Key ministers dropped
Former trade minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who was elected Umno deputy leader at party polls last month, was promoted to the key post of deputy prime minister and also given the education portfolio.
The trade ministry is now helmed by Mustapa Mohamad, a trained economist who served as agriculture minister in the last administration. His deputy is Mukhriz Mahathir, the son of former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad.
The defence portfolio goes to Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, a close ally of Najib and one of the newly appointed vice-presidents of Umno.
Foreign Minister Rais Yatim was shifted to the newly created ministry of information, communications, arts and culture, and replaced by Anifah Aman, a backbencher from Sabah.
The sensitive home affairs portfolio, which handles internal security, is now held by Hishammuddin Hussein, the former education minister, who was also made one of Umno’s three vice-presidents.
There was a snub for Khairy Jamaluddin, the son-in-law of Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who won the influential post of Umno youth chief. Traditionally, the youth chief sits in the cabinet but he was omitted from Najib’s new line-up.
Khairy is the only head of the three Umno wings not appointed minister.
Several figures seen as loyal to former premier Abdullah were dropped, including Rural Affairs Minister Muhammad Muhammad Taib, Tourism Minister Azalina Othman and Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar.
Others out of the line-up are Ong Ka Chuan (Housing and Local Government), senator Amirshah A Aziz (Minister in the PM’s Department), Mohd Zin Mohamed (Works) and Zulhasnan Rafique (Federal Territories).
Shahrir Samad who had tendered his resignation as domestic trade and consumer affairs minister last week was not considered in this line-up.
Sabah has increased its representation in the cabinet from three ministers in the previous cabinet to four while there is no change for Sarawak, which has two ministers.
Meanwhile, both Gerakan and MCA will also have a greater presence in the new line-up.
MCA now has four ministers and seven deputy ministers (one additional deputy minister), while Gerakan has one minister and two deputy ministers (the party lost its full minister post after the 2008 general elections).
Of the ministers, 16 are from Umno, MCA (4), MIC (1), Gerakan (1), PBB (1), Supp (1), PBS (1) and Upko (1)
FULL LIST
Prime Minister
Najib Abdul Razak (Umno)
Deputy Prime Minister
Muhyiddin Yassin (Umno)
Ministers in the Prime Minister’s Department
Koh Tsu Koon – Unity Affairs & Performance Management (Gerakan)
Nazri Abdul Aziz – Minister in charge of Law and Parliament (Umno)
Nor Mohamed Yaakop – Economic Planning Unit (Umno)
Major Gen Jamil Khir Baharom – Islamic Affairs (Umno)
Deputies
Liew Vui Keong (LDP)
Mashitah Ibrahim (senator, Umno)
SK Devamany (MIC)
Ahmad Maslan (Umno)
T Murugiah (senator, PPP)
Finance Ministry
Najib Abdul Razak (1) (Umno)
Ahmad Husni Hanadzlan (2) (Umno)
Deputies
Chor Chee Heong (MCA)
Awang Adek Hussien (senator, Umno)
Education Ministry
Muhyiddin Yassin (Umno)
Deputies
Wee Ka Siong (MCA)
Puad Zarkashi (Umno)
Transport Ministry
Ong Tee Keat (MCA)
Deputies
Abdul Rahim Bakri (Umno)
Robert Lau Hoi Chew (Supp-Sarawak)
Agricultural Development and Commodities
Bernard Dompok (Upko-Sabah)
Deputy
Hamzah Zainuddin (Umno)
Home Affairs
Hishammuddin Hussien (Umno)
Deputies
Abu Seman Yusop (Umno)
Jelaing Mersat (SPDP-Sarawak)
Information, Communication, Arts and Culture
Rais Yatim (Umno)
Deputies
Joseph Salang Gandum (PRS-Sarawak)
Heng Seai Kie (senator, MCA)
Energy, Green Technology and Water
Peter Chin Fah Kui (Supp-Sarawak)
Deputy
Noriah Kasnon (Umno)
Rural Development and Territories
Shafie Apdal (Umno)
Deputies
Hassan Malek (Umno)
Joseph Entulu Belaun (PRS-Sarawak)
Higher Education
Khaled Nordin (Umno)
Deputies
Hou Kok Chung (MCA)
Saifuddin Abdullah (Umno)
International Trade and Industry
Mustapa Mohamad (Umno)
Deputies
Mukhriz Mahathir (Umno)
Jacob Dungau Sagan (SPDP-Sarawak)
Science, Technology and Innovation
Dr Maximus Ongkili (PBS-Sabah)
Deputy
Fadillah Yusof (PPB-Sarawak)
Natural Resources and Environment
Douglas Uggah Embas (PPB-Sarawak)
Deputy
Joseph Kurup (PBRS-Sabah)
Tourism
Ng Yen Yen (MCA)
Deputy
Sulaiman Abdul Rahman Abdul Taib (PBB-Sarawak)
Agriculture
Noh Omar (Umno)
Deputies
Johari Baharom (Umno)
Rohani Abdul Karim (PBB-Sarawak)
Defence
Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (Umno)
Deputy
Abdul Latif Ahmad (Umno)
Works
Shaziman Abu Mansor (Umno)
Deputy
Yong Khoon Seng (Supp-Sarawak)
Health
Liow Tiong Lai (MCA)
Deputy
Rosnah Rashid Shilin (Umno)Youth and Sports
Ahmad Shabery Cheek (Umno)
Deputies
Razali Ibrahim (Umno)
Wee Jeck Seng (MCA)
Human Resource
Dr S Subramaniam (MIC)
Deputy
Maznah Mazlan (Umno)
Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs
Ismail Sabri Yaakob (Umno)
Deputy
Tan Lian Hoe (Gerakan)
Housing and Local Government
Kong Cho Ha (MCA)
Deputy
Lajim Ukin (Umno)
Women, Family and Society Development
Sharizat Abdul Jalil (senator, Umno)
Deputy
Chew Mei Fun (senator, MCA)
Foreign
Anifah Aman (Umno)
Deputies
A Kohilan Pillay (senator, Gerakan), Lee Chee Leong (senator, MCA)
Federal Territories
Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin (Umno)
Deputy
M Saravanan (MIC)
SOURCE: MALAYSIAKINI.COM
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