3 MADE SENIOR MINISTERS

UNITED WE STAND: Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud (centre) locking arms with senior ministers (from left) Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu, Tan Sri Dr James Masing and Tan Sri William Mawan Ikom as a sign of unity among Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties.

KUCHING: Three ministers were made senior ministers in the new State Cabinet line-up unveiled by the Chief Minister yesterday, which also saw the appointment of seven new assistant ministers.

All appointments take effect tomorrow.

One notable feature of this reshuffle, as compared to many previous ones, is that none of the existing assistant ministers were dropped.

Those appointed as senior ministers are PRS president Tan Sri Dr James Jemut Masing, SPDP president Tan Sri William Mawan Ikom, and SUPP deputy secretary-general Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh. The portfolios of all three of them remained at status quo, except for some changes in their responsibilities and functions.

The seven new assistant ministers, whose appointments were mostly to fill in the slots left vacant as a result of the last state election on April 16, were Julaihi Narawi (PBB-Sebuyau), chief political secretary to the Chief Minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah (PBB-Asajaya), Robert Lawson Chuat Vincent Entering (PBB-Bukit Saban), Datu Len Talif Salleh (PBB-Belawai), Liwan Lagang (PRS-Belaga), Rosey Yunus (SPDP-Bekenu) and Dr Jerip Susil (SUPP-Bengoh).

In unveiling the new lineup at Wisma Bapa Malaysia at about 3.30pm yesterday, Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud also announced the creation of `Ministry of Welfare, Women and Family Development’ to be headed by Datuk Fatimah Abdullah.

She would have two assistants, namely Lawson, who will be taking care of welfare, and Rosey who will be taking care of early childhood education and family development.

Several ministries were renamed, with the Ministry of Social Development and Urbanisation becoming Ministry of Social Development; Ministry of Planning and Resources Management (Ministry of Resource Planning and Environment); Ministry of Environment and Public Health (Ministry of Local Government and Community Development); Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (Ministry of Housing); and Ministry of Tourism and Heritage (Ministry of Tourism).

Basically, there was no change to the portfolios held by the existing ministers but a few of them were given additional assistants in line with the changes to the roles and functions of their respective ministries.

As expected by political pundits, Taib did not fill the deputy chief minister post which fell vacant following the defeat of SUPP president Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan in Piasau in the state election.

Among those present at the press conference were Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu, Masing, Mawan and Wong.