KUALA LUMPUR: This week's 'Beyond the Headlines' covers Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's cabinet reshuffle on Tuesday (Dec 12) announcing the appointment of five ministers and five deputy ministers, comprising four fresh faces, as well as the return of five former ministers.
He also announced the restructuring of the ministries based on current needs, involving the Natural Resources, Environment, and Climate Change Ministry, which is now split into the Energy Transition and Public Utilities Ministry, and Natural Resources and Sustainability Ministry.
The Communications and Digital Ministry was also split into the Communications Ministry and the Digital Ministry.
Together with Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) chief executive officer Dr Tricia Yeoh, the team discussed whether the reshuffle is marked as a move towards greater inclusivity and representation within the cabinet.
The role of Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan, who has been appointed as Finance Minister II, was touched on to understand how his expertise can help shape economic policies and financial decisions within the government.
Also, newly-appointed Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani said he will continue leading the task force to resolve issues related to the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) fund.
The team looked into how the Umno leader aims to maintain the responsibility while balancing the needs of his ministry.
We also highlighted the need for Malaysia to move away from rhetoric focused on specific racial or religious identities as well as questioned the significance of deputy ministerial roles in government administrations.
Follow the discussion in the video podcast for a deeper dive into the issues highlighted.
This episode of 'Beyond the Headlines' was recorded on Dec 14.