PUTRAJAYA: The announcement of a new reshuffled Federal cabinet today contained a surprise in the form of the retirement of Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah.
Announcing this today, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said Husni had stated his wish to retire due to personal reasons.
"The government respects his decision as he is quite ready to retire," he told a press conference here.
Husni was appointed Second Finance Minister on April 2009.
Husni, a University Malaya graduate, entered the government sector in 1984 as general manager of the Perak State Islamic Economic Corporation.
He had previously served as Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry and Deputy Finance Minister before becoming a full minister.
Meanwhile, today’s changes saw the appointment of two full ministers and four new deputy ministers.
Datuk Johari Abdul Ghani, who will take over Husni's portfolio as Second Finance Minister, will be assisted by his deputies Jerlun Member of Parliament Datuk Othman Aziz, as well as Datuk Lee Chee Leong, formerly the International Trade and Industry Deputy Minister.
Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Chua Tee Yong will take over Lee's portfolio.
The other changes are the inclusion of Datuk Seri Mah Siew Keong, who has been appointed as the Plantation Industry and Commodities Minister; Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan (Minister in the Prime Minister's Department in charge of the Economic Planning Unit); and Tan Sri Noh Omar (Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister).
The new deputy ministers are Datuk Othman Aziz (Finance Ministry); Datuk Datu Nasrun Datu Mansur (Plantation Industries and Commodities); Datuk Henry Sum Agong (Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism) and Datuk Seri S. K. Devamany (Prime Minister's Department).
Today's reshuffle was geared towards filling in vacancies within the Cabinet following the tragic helicopter crash in Sarawak, which claimed the lives of key politicians, including Deputy Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Tan Sri Noriah Kasnon.
The last reshuffle took place on July 28 last year, which saw five Ministers dropped including former Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, as well as Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri G. Palanivel. Additional reporting by Fazleena Aziz