KUCHING: Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem today unveiled the new state cabinet lineup, which features slight changes in the structure and portfolios as well as the inclusion of two new faces.
The cabinet, he said, would be made up of three deputy chief ministers, compared to one deputy chief minister during the previous term.
Adenan described his state cabinet as a strong lineup, which is ready to work and fulfil all promises made to the people in the recently-concluded state polls.
"Now is the time for us to fullfil our promises. It is time for action," he said.
Adenan today announced that outgoing Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Douglas Uggah Embas has been appointed as one of his three deputies. Douglas, the newly-elected Bukit Saban assemblyman, has been touted as the protégé of former deputy chief minister Tan Sri Alfred Jabu Numpang.
Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu’s (PBB) deputy president Datuk Abang Johari Openg and Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president Tan Sri James Jemut Masing have been promoted from senior ministers to the deputy chief minister post.
Abang Johari, who is Satok assemblyman, was previously the state Housing and Tourism Minister while Masing was the Senior Minister in-charge of Land Development Affairs in Sarawak.
Apart from Douglas, another new face in the state cabinet line-up included Sarawak United Peoples’ Party president Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian.
Dr Sim has been appointed as the state Local Government Minister.
Datuk Dr Stephen Rundi Utom, who was previously Assistant Minister for Public Utilities (Electricity and Telecommunications), has been promoted to a full minister post.
He will be the minister in-charge for the same ministry (Public Utilities).
Former Parti Tenaga Rakyat Sarawak (Teras) president Tan Sri William Mawan Ikom, who was previously State Social Development Minister, has been dropped from Adenan’s new-line up.
All four other previous ministers were re-appointed to their posts.
They are: Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh (State Second Finance Minister); Datuk Seri Michael Manyin Jawong (Minister of Youth and Sport and Solidarity); Datuk Awang Tengah Ali Hasan (Second Minister of Resource Planning and Environment; Minister of Industrial and Entrepreneur Development, Trade and Investment), and Datuk Fatimah Abdullah (Minister of Welfare, Women and Community Well-being).