Published April 8, 2009

Najib set to announce Cabinet line-up today

He's likely to retain finance portfolio, cut down number of Umno ministers

By S JAYASANKARAN
IN KUALA LUMPUR

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PRIME Minister Najib Razak will probably announce the composition of his Cabinet today and unveil a line-up that is likely to continue the tradition of a technocrat in the position of Second Finance Minister.

Mr Najib: Likely to pick CIMB Bank chairman as Second Finance Minister

According to sources familiar with the matter, the Prime Minister is likely to retain the powerful finance portfolio but could replace incumbent Second Finance Minister Nor Mohamad Yakcop with Mohamad Nor Yusof, the current chairman of CIMB Bank and a member of the board of Khazanah Nasional, the investment arm of the federal government.

If it pans out, Mr Mohamad Nor's appointment is unlikely to raise any eyebrows as he is regarded as an able banker - he was chief executive of the Bank of Commerce in the 1990s - and regulator - he also served as chairman of the Securities Commission.

The sources also said that the Cabinet was likely to be truncated at the expense of members of the dominant United Malays National Organisation (Umno) over which Mr Najib presides. In fairness, however, former prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was the first to expand the Cabinet in moves that largely benefited Umno.

The casualty list is likely to be a long one and could include Mr Nor Mohamad, Tourism Minister Azalina Othman, Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar and Regional Development Minister Mohammad Mohammad Taib. Others facing the cut, said the sources, could include Works Minister Mohamad Zin Mohamad, Minister without Portfolio Amirsham Aziz and Information Minister Shabery Chik.

The sources said that at least two deputy ministers stood to be promoted. They include Deputy Finance Minister Ahmad Husni Hanadziah and Deputy Entrepreneur Development Minister Saifudin Abdullah. Both men were elected to Umno's 25-man Supreme Council two weeks ago.

Malaysian newspapers have also speculated that two former ministers could return to the fold. The two named are Jamaluddin Jarjis, a former second finance minister, and former tourism minister Tunku Adnan Mansur. But the sources said both were unlikely to make the cut.

A lot of attention will be focussed on whether Khairy Jamaluddin, the son- in-law of Mr Abdullah, will make it into government. Mr Khairy is a vice- president of Umno as he was elected as head of Umno Youth but he is disliked by former premier Mahathir Mohamad and his appointment could incur Dr Mahathir's wrath.

It could explain why there is now a school of thought that says Mr Najib might not appoint any of Umno's three wing heads - Youth, Wanita and Puteri, respectively.

This would rule out the return of Sharizat Jalil, who defeated former international trade minister Rafidah Aziz in the Wanita contest, to the Cabinet.