Sarawak new cabinet – May 2017

suppadmin | May 7, 2017

Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg has recently reshuffled the Cabinet he inherited, appointing a third deputy chief minister, elevating two assistant ministers to full ministers, and introducing two new faces.

Second Minister of Resource Planning and Environment Awang Tengah Ali Hassan is now the third deputy chief minister in charge of the industrial and entrepreneurial development ministry.

Housing Assistant Minister Abdul Karim Hamzah will take over the tourism, arts, culture and sports ministry formerly headed by Abang Johari, and Industrial Development Assistant Minister Talip Zulipilip is now minister in the Chief Minister’s Office. Talip has also been given the position of ombudsman.

New faces in the Cabinet are Balai Ringin assemblyman Snowdan Lawan of Parti Rakyat Sarawak, who has been made the assistant youth and sports minister, and chief political secretary to the Chief Minister Abdullah Saidol, who is now assistant minister in the Chief Minister’s office in charge of corporate affairs.

The new cabinet announcement was made at the end of the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) gathering to honour past presidents Abdul Taib Mahmud and Adenan Satem and past deputy president Alfred Jabu, at the Borneo Convention Centre.

The chief minister gave himself the “additional portfolios” of energy development, oil and gas, digital economy and telecommunications, and Kuching urban public transport.

By putting himself in charge of the state’s energy development and oil and gas, Abang Johari is signalling that he will also take charge in talks on oil royalties with Putrajaya.

The digital economy and Kuching urban public transport are his new projects.

He is still the minister of finance and economic planning and the newly formed urban development and resources.

Two more significant changes the chief minister made are putting Second Finance Minister Wong Soon Koh in charge of the new ministry of international trade and e-commerce without relinquishing his second finance minister’s post.

Youth and Sports Minister Michael Manyin is to head the education, science, and technological research ministry.