Pakatan Harapan will try its best to fulfil its promises within its first 100 days in government despite being 12 ministers short in the cabinet, Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail pledged today.

However, she said she could not give her word that the Harapan government would be able to fulfil all 10 promises stipulated in its election manifesto within the time period.

Prior to the 14th general election, Harapan had pledged to fulfil 10 promises within its first 100 days in power, which included eliminating the goods and services tax, standardising the minimum wage and establishing Royal Commissions of Inquiry to investigate various corruption scandals.

Today marks the 15th day since the coalition won the May 9 general election.

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad had earlier said his cabinet would only comprise 25 ministers, but he later said it may have 28 ministers, including those from East Malaysia.

Wan Azizah acknowledged that “there are certain things we wish to do and we are all aware that we have 100 days to fulfil them”.

She was speaking at a press conference on her first day in office at the Women and Family Development Ministry.

She said that she had noticed the ministers beginning to knuckle down yesterday, at their first cabinet meeting.

“We have a working cabinet. Yesterday, when I sat in the first cabinet meeting, I could see that we all started to go," she noted. 

Asked if the current shortage of ministers in the cabinet would affect their work, she said, "I cannot say for the future. But we will try our level best."

The soft-spoken politician cracked a joke when asked if the Permata child development programme, which was founded by Rosmah Mansor, the wife of former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak, would be renamed.

"Change name? Permata merah jambu (pink diamond)?" the PKR president responded without elaborating.

There have been news reports that Rosmah possesses a 22-carat pink diamond pendant and necklace.

In its June 2017 civil forfeiture suit filing, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) alleged that at least US$27.3 million was used to buy a 22-carat pink diamond pendant and necklace for “MO1's wife”.