PM to present deputy ministers list to Agong today - source

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is expected to have an audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong later today to present his list of deputy ministers.

This is according to a Pakatan Harapan source close to the coalition's chairperson.

"To your question on whether the PM is going to present the list to the Agong today, yes.

"But I'm not sure what time. Because he will go for Friday prayers in Kampung Baru (Kuala Lumpur) first in the afternoon," said the senior leader of a component party.

Asked whether this will be followed by a swearing-in ceremony for the deputy ministers, the source who is an elected representative, said it would be held either "tomorrow or the day after".

Anwar is expected to announce the list of deputy ministers for his cabinet at 8.15pm tonight.

List under wraps

However, the source claimed he was in the dark as to who is on the list and how many positions each party will get, citing that Anwar had been quite secretive about it.

It was suggested that many parties had been lobbying for deputy minister posts, hence why the premier kept the list to a very small circle.

Yesterday, Berita Harian quoted sources reporting that at least 35 names were being considered for deputy minister positions.

They include MPs from Harapan, BN, GPS, GRS, Warisan and several other parties that support the new Anwar-led government.

The number of deputy ministers would also be limited to only one per ministry, according to the report, with exception given to merged portfolios under Anwar's new cabinet.

It claimed that among those being considered as deputy ministers include five from Harapan - Kulai MP Teo Nie Ching, Liew Chin Tong (Iskandar Puteri), Steven Sim (Bukit Mertajam), Sim Tze Tzin (Bayan Baru) and Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik (Balik Pulau).

From BN, it was speculated that among those shortlisted were Ahmad Maslan (Pontian), Mohamad Alamin (Kimanis), Mohd Shahar Abdullah (Paya Besar), Abdul Rahman Mohamad (Lipis), Jalaluddin Alias (Jelebu) and Wee Jeck Seng (Tanjung Piai).

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