NAJIB’S CABINET 2009

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced his new cabinet of 28 Ministers and 40 Deputy Ministers.

Datuk Seri Rais Yatim was appointed as Minister of Information, Culture, Arts and Communications.

The three Umno vice-presidents were given key ministries - Datuk Seri Hishammudin Hussein as Home Minister, Datuk Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as Defence and Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal as Rural Development.

Wanita Umno chief Datuk Seri Shahrizat Jalil returns to her old Ministry, Women, Family and Community Development. Datuk Anifah Aman getting the Foreign Minister's post, a first for a Sabahan.

Prime Minister
Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak

Deputy Prime Minister
Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin

Ministers in the Prime Minister’s Department
Tan Sri Datuk Dr Koh Tsu Koon (Unity Affairs and Performance Management)
Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz (Justice and & Parliament)
Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop (Economic Planning Unit)
Maj. Gen (R) Datuk Jamil Khir Baharom (Islamic Religious Affairs)

Deputy Ministers
Datuk Liew Vui Keong
Senator Datuk Dr Mashitah Ibrahim
Datuk S. K. Devamany
Ahmad Maslan
Senator T. Murugiah

Finance
Minister: Datuk Seri Najib Razak
Minister II: Datuk Ahmad Husni Mohamad Hanadzlan
Deputy: Datuk Chor Chee Heung
Deputy: Senator Datuk Dr Awang Adek Hussein

Education
Minister: Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin
Deputy: Datuk Dr. Wee Ka Siong
Deputy: Datuk Dr Puad Zakarshi

Transport
Minister: Datuk Ong Tee Keat
Deputy: Datuk Abdul Rahim Bakri
Deputy: Datuk Robert Lau Hoi Chew

Entrepreneurship, Agriculture and Commodities
Minister: Tan Sri Bernard Dompok
Deputy: Datuk Hamzah Zainuddin

Home
Minister: Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hussein
Deputy: Datuk Wira Abu Seman Yusop
Deputy: Encik Jelaing Mersat

Information, Communication, Arts and Culture
Minister: Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim
Deputy: Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum
Deputy: Senator Heng Seai Kie

Energy, Green Technology and Water
Minister: Datuk Peter Chin Fah Kui
Deputy: Noriah Kasnon

Rural and Regional Development
Minister: Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal
Deputy: Datuk Hassan Malek
Deputy: Datuk Joseph Entulu Belaun

Higher Education
Minister: Datuk Seri Mohd Khaled Nordin
Deputy: Datuk Dr Hou Kok Chung
Deputy: Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah

International Trade and Industry
Minister: Datuk Mustapa Mohamad
Deputy: Datuk Mukhriz bin Tun Dr Mahathir
Deputy: Datuk Jacob Dungau Sagan

Science, Technology and Innovation
Minister: Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili
Deputy: Encik Fadillah Yusof

Natural resources and Environment
Minister: Datuk Douglas Unggah Embas
Deputy: Tan Sri Joseph Kurup

Tourism
Minister: Datuk Ng Yen Yen
Deputy: Datuk Sulaiman Abdul Rahman Abdul Taib

Agriculture and Agro-Based Industries
Minister: Datuk Noh Omar
Deputy: Datuk Johari Baharum
Deputy: Datuk Rohani Abdul Karim

Defence
Minister: Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi
Deputy: Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad

Works
Minister: Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor
Deputy: Datuk Yong Khoon Seng

Health
Minister: Datuk Liow Tiong Lai
Deputy: Datuk Rosnah Rashid Shilin

Youth and Sports
Minister: Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek
Deputy: Datuk Razali Ibrahim
Deputy: Encik Wee Jeck Seng

Human Resources
Minister: Datuk Dr. S. Subramaniam
Deputy: Datuk Maznah Mazlan (Senator)

Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs
Minister: Datuk Ismail Sabri Yaakob
Deputy: Datuk Tan Lian Hoe

Housing and Local Government
Minister: Datuk Kong Cho Ha
Deputy: Datuk Lajim Ukin

Women’s Development, Family and Community
Minister: Senator Datuk Shahrizat Jalil
Deputy: Datuk Paduka Chew Mei Fun

Foreign
Minister: Datuk Anifah Aman
Deputy: Senator A. Kohilan Pillay
Deputy: Datuk Lee Chee Leong

Federal Territories
Minister: Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin
Deputy: Datuk M. Saravanan

BN candidate Malcolm Mussen Lamoh retained the remote Batang Ai state constituency in southern Sarawak by an increased majority of 1,854 votes.


Its candidate, the newcomer Malcolm Mussen Lamoh, 49, a former engineer with the Sarawak Agriculture Department from Parti Rakyat Sarawak, defeated Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s Jawah Gerang, 55.

He garnered 3,907 votes to defeat veteran politician Jawah Gerang, the former five-term Lubok Antu Member of Parliament, who obtained 2,053 votes, in a straight fight.

In the 2006 state elections, Barisan’s Datuk Dublin Unting won against opposition Sarawak National Party (SNAP) Nicholas Bawin by 806 votes.
Unting died on Feb 24 from a stroke.

PKR greenhorn won Bukit Selambau seat

Political greenhorn S Manikumar won the N25 Bukit Selambau state seat for PKR, defeating BN’s Datuk S Ganesan and 13 independent candidates with a slightly bigger majority of 2,403 votes.


Manikumar, 35, polled 12,632 votes against 50-year-old Ganesan’s 10,229 votes. Voter turnout was 70%. The Bukit Selambau by-election had created history by having the most number of candidates, totalling 15 altogether.

All the independent candidates — R Loganathan, Tan Hock Huat, Mohd Radzi Md Lazim, Mohd Fadzil Wahab, Abdul Rahim Abu, L Sarala, A Jayagopal, S Moganakumar, Khamis Awang, Husaini Yaacob, Vaneson Michael, Mejar (R) Anuar Abdul Hamid and T Chandrarajan — lost their RM5,000 deposit after failing to secure one eighth of the votes cast.

The most popular independent included Mej (Rtd) Anuar Abd Hamid, polled 528 votes and Mohd Radzi Md Lazim , the least 25 votes.

Nizar won Bukit Gantang with 2,789 vote majority

Ousted Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin managed to get 622 more votes compared with the 18,449 votes it secured in 2008 general election.

He won the Bukit Gantang parliamentary seat, beating Barisan Nasional candidate Ismail Saffian and independent Kamarul Rami-zu Idris.

The 52-year-old garnered 21,860 votes against Ismail's 19,071 while Kamarul only secured 62 votes and lost his deposit.

Nizar's 2,789-vote majority over Ismail is almost double the majority obtained by former Pas Member of Parliament, the late Roslan Shah-rom, in last year's general election.

Roslan defeated BN candidate and Umno treasurer Datuk Seri Azim Zabidi with a 1,566-vote majority.

PAS, through Nizar, who was said to have banked on sympathy votes after the Barisan takeover of the state, improved its vote count by 1,845 compared with the general election votes.

Turnout was 75.1% or 41,626 of the total 55,562 registered voters, slightly higher than the 72.65% in 2008.

Cast your vote wisely and early

The simultaneous polling date for the Bukit Gantang parliamentary seat in Perak, the Bukit Selambau state assembly seat in Kedah and the Batang Ai seat in Sarawak are on April 7, 2009 respectively.

Any Malaysian citizens above 21 years old who register in the voters' registry with the Election Commission could vote in the by-elections.

The registered voters are reminding to bring their identification card to the polling stations.

Registered voters are urged to go to the designated voting centre early on April 7, 2009 to cast their ballot wisely for their chosen candidate.

Please cast your vote early to avoid any inconvenience and beat the rush to the polls.

Mahathir slammed Nizar for defying Sultan's order to resign

Dr Mahathir slammed ousted Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin for defying Sultan Azlan Shah's order to resign.


Speaking at the public rally of the Bukit Gantang by-election, he criticized Nizar's move to award permanent land titles to villagers in the state.

"This man just wants to be popular. He gave out land to be popular," he added.

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad hit the campaign trail for the Bukit Gantang by-election to endorse Barisan Nasional's Ismail Safian and launch his renewed attacks against his former deputy Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. He is hoping to bring in the votes for BN.

Mahathir expressed his hope that the many members who had left the party would also return to its fold.

“Times have changed. The government today is truly for the people. So I am urging those who had left Umno, please come back,” he said, adding that he was confident that the current administration would be taking steps to address people’s unhappiness.

He also said that street demonstrations were not part of Malaysian culture and were a waste of time.

“What do we get by demonstrating on the streets, except to cause damage? Dialogue is the best way to resolve unhappiness and differences. If we are still unhappy with the government, then show it through the ballot boxes,” he added.

Mental torture, feelings of terror and other forms of torture

Who is being responsible for the mental torture, feelings of terror and other forms of torture?