Within five days of Najib Abdul Razak’s ascension as prime minister, speculation about the upcoming cabinet reshuffle is already making the rounds.

According to a sources-based report today in the Chinese-language Sin Chew Daily , as many as 10 ministers could be eliminated in the reshuffle:

  • Tourism Minister Azalina Othman

  • Rural and Regional Development Minister Muhammad Muhd Taib

  • Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar

  • Second Finance Minister Nor Mohamed Yakcop

  • Energy, Water and Communications Minister Shaziman Abu Mansor

  • Federal Territories Minister Zulhasnan Rafique

  • Foreign Affairs Minister Rais Yatim

  • Information Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek

  • Higher Education Minister Khaled Nordin

  • Housing and Local Government Minister Ong Ka Chuan

The cabinet reshuffle is expected to be held after tomorrow's by-elections in Bukit Selambau, Bukit Gantang and Bukit Selambau.

bukit selambau khairy visit damaged houses after tornado 060409 04 Khairy Jamaluddin (left) is widely expected to be made a minister or deputy minister by virtue of his position as the newly-minted Umno Youth chief.

“Sources indicate that Najib may also make unexpected, radical changes to the cabinet, including introducing a new department to address issues faced by the Chinese community,” according to the news report.

“Recently re-elected MIC president S Samy Vellu is unlikely to make a comeback into the cabinet, while Gerakan president and senator Koh Tsu Koon may be handed a ministerial post.”

The Chinese daily also conjectured that Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor may resume his former position as Federal Territories Minister, while former Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Jamaluddin Jarjis may be roped in to replace Azalina.

“If Hishammuddin Hussein does not resume his position as education minister, then he may replace Muhyiddin Yassin as International Trade and Industry Minister.

nazri abdul aziz and parliament 131108 “Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz (right) may replace Rais as foreign minister.

“The chances of Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage Minister Shafie Apdal being promoted as defence minister are also very strong.”

Although the report did not cite reasons for the speculated moves, both Azalina and Muhammad had lost in the recent Umno elections.

Syed Hamid has received much flak over detentions under the Internal Security Act, as well as for police crackdowns on street demonstrations and peaceful assemblies especially over the past year.

MCA-held portfolios

China Press predicted that MCA’s Ong Ka Chuan and Dr Chua Soi Lek will fail to make it into the new cabinet.

Both men had vied for the post of deputy president last October but Chua triumphed over Ong.

ong tee keat and mca The daily said three MCA ministers - party president Ong Tee Keat (left) , Liow Tiong Lai and Ng Yen Yen - will likely retain their respective posts in the Transport Ministry, Health Ministry, and Women, Family and Community Development Ministry.

“Since Ong has failed in his bid to become MCA deputy president and has not won a seat in the central committee, he has lost the legitimacy to remain a cabinet minister. He will probably be replaced by vice-president Kong Cho Ha.”

The paper also reported that Deputy Education Minister Wee Ka Siong could be promoted to a full ministerial post, if Najib expands the number of Chinese members in his cabinet.

However, Ka Chuan was quoted as dismissing all news reports surrounding the imminent shuffle as “mere media speculation”.

There is also speculation that the current XXL-sized cabinet with 32 posts would be slashed with a number of ministries being merged.

It's up to Najib

In a later development, Information Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek said he will accept Najib's decision to drop him from the cabinet, if such a decision is made.

ahmad shabery cheek 041108 02 "Whether I am a minister or not, I will still be here (in political arena)," he told reporters at Parliament lobby.

The first-time minister, appointed after the March 2008 general election, was commenting on the report by Sin Chew Daily that he was among nine ministers from Umno who would be dropped in the new cabinet line-up.

If that happened, he said, he would have more time with his family and constituency.

"With the BN losing its two-thirds majority, it would be better to have more backbenchers... more reason to reduce the size of the cabinet," he said, as reported by Bernama .