Lembah Pantai member of parliament Shahrizat Abdul Jalil has been appointed as minister to head the new Women's Affairs Ministry, according to Bernama this afternoon. She was a deputy minister at the Prime Minister's Department before this appointment.

Quoting a statement from the Prime Minister's Department, Bernama said that the director-general of the Islamic Affairs Department, Abdul Hamid Zainal Abidin, has been appointed as minister in the PM's Department to oversee Islamic affairs. He takes over from Abdul Hamid Othman who resigned recently.

The People's Progressive Party also makes its entry into the Cabinet with its leader Senator M Kayveas being appointed Deputy Minister of Housing and Local Government.

Umno executive secretary and Federal Territory Umno liaison head Senator Tengku Adnan Mansor has been appointed as a deputy minister in the PM's Department

Another new appointment is Senator Zainuddin Maidin as parliamentary secretary of the Information Ministry.

The statement added that the new appointees will be taking their oath of office on Jan 30.