No Cabinet reshuffle – PM
Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad yesterday said that he had informed the Cabinet that he planned to make some portfolio changes among his ministers.
Rejecting reports of an imminent Cabinet reshuffle, Dr Mahathir said he was thinking of making portfolio exchanges, but he had not done so yet.
“Not yet (no changes yet), if there are any I will let you know,” he told a press conference a er the second session of his meeting with senior government officials for 2019 here yesterday.
When asked if Jeli member of parliament Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed would be brought into the Cabinet, Dr Mahathir replied: “No new ministers.”
Asked if there was a request from Cabinet members to change portfolios, Dr Mahathir said there was no such request.
On whether he was satisfied with the performance of his Cabinet members, he replied: “I think they have more than one year experience, and they are now more able than when they started.”
Several news reports yesterday touched on the Cabinet reshuffle which was expected to take place at any time and the names of several leaders had been mentioned to lead several new ministries and portfolios.
Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin and Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng earlier said the question regarding a Cabinet reshuffle was not raised at the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday.
According to the two ministers, there was no discussion touching on a Cabinet reshuffle at the weekly Cabinet meeting on Wednesday.
“No ... at this point of time there was no discussion (on the ma er),” said Zuraida.
Meanwhile, Lim said the Cabinet meeting and the meeting of leaders of the component parties of Pakatan Harapan with the Prime Minister on Wednesday only discussed government ma ers.
“Yesterday’s meeting between Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir and the government ministers concerned government ma ers and nothing to do with whatever had been raised by the pressmen,” said Lim when responding to questions on the Cabinet reshuffle.
Zuraida and Lim were approached by the media representatives a er a ending the meeting of the 2020 Budget Focus group at the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, here yesterday.
Lim was also asked whether there was a meeting between the Prime Minister and Jeli Member of Parliament Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed who was rumoured to be included in the new Cabinet line-up.