PARLIAMENT Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's huge cabinet is in keeping with Malaysia as a modern nation, said a minister.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Azalina Othman Said said this is because the country is today facing a slew of “challenges and responsibilities”.

"Our country is developing faster and more modern. Therefore, we can't simply compare the number of ministers in the current prime minister's administration with previous administrations.

"In this borderless world, there are many challenges and responsibilities shouldered by the government to ensure that Malaysia remains peaceful, prosperous and tranquil," Azalina said.

She said this in a written reply to a question from Ngeh Koo Ham (DAP-Beruas) on the rationale behind Najib's bloated cabinet.

The Najib administration has 37 ministers and 32 deputy ministers. A total of 11 ministers and two deputy ministers serve in the Prime Minister's Department alone.

Azalina, who was made minister in charge of parliamentary affairs in a cabinet reshuffle in July, also said it was the prime minister's prerogative to determine how many ministers he needs.

When increasing the cabinet to include MCA and Gerakan leaders last year, Najib said the large size was unavoidable .

"We had to make adjustments based on MCA's decision. At first they said they didn't want to be in the (cabinet), but then they reviewed this (decision) and saw the need to join the government," Najib had said.