New faces from Sabah and Sarawak are expected to fill vacancies following the decision by Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties, MCA and Gerakan not to accept any posts in the cabinet.

The decision by MCA and Gerakan, which are the biggest Chinese parties in BN, was on the basis of respecting the decision of voters, after they performed poorly in the 13th general election (GE13) on May 5.

NONE Among the names mentioned to be appointed as ministers to represent the community is Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) deputy president Tiong King Sing, 52 ( left ), who is Bintulu Member of Parliament and ex-chairperson of the BN Backbenchers Club.

Tiong, a holder of a Masters degree in business administration and political science from the Royal Ireland Institute of Business and Technology, has been an entrepreneur in property development, construction and timber industry for the past 20 years.

Other than Tiong, two members of Parliament from Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), namely Linda Tsen Thau Lin, 57, (Batu Sapi) and Mary Yap Kain Ching @ Mary Yap Ken Jin, 62, (Tawau) are also speculated will be new faces in the cabinet.

NONE PBS Wanita deputy chief Tsen ( right ), first won in the Batu Sapi by-election on Nov 4, 2010 following the death of her husband Edmond Chong Ket Wah in a road crash. She is a professional musician, who graduated from the United Kingdom Trinity College of Music and holds a Fellowship at the London College of Music.

Yap, who contested for the first time in GE13, was a former super principal who held the Jusa post before retiring in 2007.

She has a Masters in Education from Leeds University, United Kingdom, and was a senior consultant at Institute Aminuddin Baki and was also on the education minister's advisory panel for cluster schools.

Other than the three Members of Parliament, several Members of Parliament from Umno were also mentioned.

Among them is Halimah Mohd Sadique, 51, the MP for Tenggara,  who is said to be a favourite for the post of women, family and community development minister following her four terms experience as  Johor’s Family Development, Women’s Affairs and Health Committee chairperson.

Halimah, a former teacher who contested in the Tenggara parliamentary seat for the first time in 2008, is  also seen as among the aggressive Members of Parliament.

Khairy and Reezal Merican said to be among new faces

Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin, 37, and his information chief Reezal Merican Naina Merizan, 41, are also said to be among the new faces in the cabinet this time.

NONE Khairy ( left ), the Perbadanan Usahawan Nasional Bhd chairperson, who retained the Rembau parliamentary seat in GE13, holds a Masters degree in ‘Legal and Political Theory’ from University College London while Reezal Merican, who was the political secretary to former prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, made his election debut in GE13.

    

Also said to be in the running are three former menteris besar. They are Shahidan Kassim, 62, (Perlis), Mahdzir Khalid, 53, (Kedah) and Idris Jusoh, 58, (Terengganu).

Former cabinet members expected to make a comeback are Dr Jamaluddin Jarjis, 61, and Dr Hilmi Yahaya, 64.

- Bernama