Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad may announce new members of the cabinet by the end of the week, his deputy Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said today.

Questioned during a press conference, she said: “I actually asked the prime minister the same question.

“I think he said it will take some time, so most probably, maybe, end of this week.

“It is up to the prime minister.”

Wan Azizah was speaking to reporters after receiving a courtesy call from Japanese ambassador to Malaysia Makio Miyagawa at her Putrajaya office this morning.

Mahathir’s cabinet currently has 13 ministers, but some key portfolios, such as foreign affairs, remain vacant. No deputy ministers have been named thus far.

A source had previously told Malaysiakini the cabinet would eventually comprise 28 ministers.

Mahathir, however, was coy about the final number on June 6, saying "Please wait, we will announce (whether it is) 26, 27, 28 or even 500.”

He said at the time that he aimed to finalise his cabinet that week, but also warned that the process may drag on into the following week.

At an earlier press conference, Mahathir also stated that he would leave it to the ministers’ discretion on whether they would need deputies.