Twelve assistant ministers, who retained their respective seats in the April 16 Sarawak election, were sworn in as assistant ministers in the new state cabinet in Kuching today.

Six were from Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) and two each from Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP), Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) and Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP).  

They are:
Gramong Juna (Assistant Minister of Rural Development,
sarawak election bn sri aman dinner 120411 supp simanggang candidate francis harden hollisFrancis Harden (Assistant Minister of Land Development) (left),
Lee Kim Shin (Assistant Minister of Communication and Assistant Minister for Sports;  
Sylvester Entri Muran (Assistant Minister of Public Utilities for Water Supply;  
Daud Abdul Rahman (Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Office (Islamic Affairs) as well as assistant minister for Industrial Development (Promotion and Development of Industrial Estates);  
Mohd Naroden Majais (Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Office (Entrepreneur Development) as well as Assistant Minister of Planning and Resource Management);
John Sikie Tayai (Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Office for Rural District Councils);  
Abdul Wahab Aziz (Assistant Minister of Housing and Urban Development as well as Assistant Minister of Rural Development);
Talib Zulpilip (Assistant Minister of Tourism and Heritage);
Peter Nansian Ngusie (Assistant Minister of Environment and Public Health);  
Mong Dagang (Assistant Minister of Tourism and Heritage as well as Assistant Minister of Modernisation of Agriculture  (Research and Coordination);
Dr Stephen Rundi Utom (Assistant Minister of Public Health and Public Utilities).

They took their oath of office before Sarawak Yang di-Pertua Negeri Abang Muhammad Salahuddin Abang Barieng, witnessed by Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud at the new Sarawak State Legislative Assembly building in Kuching today.

Also present were Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister Alfred Jabu, SUPP president Dr George Chan and Sarawak state assembly speaker Mohd Asfia Awang Nasar.  

Taib, who is also Sarawak Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman and PBB president, said the cabinet line-up was “a temporary measure” pending a reshuffle.

Taib ‘not ready for reshuffle’

“I’m not ready yet (for a cabinet reshuffle),” he told reporters after the ceremony.

Three assistant ministers were voted out in the election, Sarawak’s 10th.

larry sngThey were SPDP deputy president and assistant minister of Modernisation of Agriculture (Farmers Organisations and Cooperatives), Peter Nyarok Entrie; David Teng (Assistant Minister of Agriculture) and Tan Joo Phoi (Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Office (Environment).
          
Three assistant ministers were dropped as Barisan Nasional (BN) candidates, namely Larry Sng (Pelagus) (right), Dr Soon Choon Teck (Dudong) and Dr Abang Abdul Rauf Abang Zen (Demak Laut).

On April 18, eight former state ministers, who also retained their respective seats in the election, were sworn in as members of the new state cabinet.

The ministers are Jabu, Abang Johari Openg, Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, Michael Manyin, Dr James Masing, William Mawan, Wong Soon Koh and Fatimah Abdullah.

The only exception from the previous line-up was Chan, who lost his Piasau seat in the polls.

- Bernama