Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah was in attendance.
The new Cabinet line-up under Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s administration comprising 31 ministers, including four senior ministers, and 38 deputy ministers was announced last Friday.
Ismail was unable to attend the ceremony as he is under self-quarantine after having been a close contact of a Covid-19 patient.
Two of those in the prime minister’s Cabinet line-up were also unable to attend the swearing-in ceremony – Noh Omar (entrepreneur development and cooperatives minister) as he had also been a close contact of a Covid-19 patient, and Mohamad Alamin (deputy education minister II), who has tested positive for Covid-19.
The ceremony, held in the Throne Room, began at 2.30pm with the oath-taking followed by the signing of the appointment letters, which was witnessed by Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat and Chief Secretary to the Government, Mohd Zuki Ali.
The ministers were divided into five groups and the deputy ministers, into six groups, in taking their oaths of office before the King.
The first group of seven ministers comprised four senior ministers – Mohamed Azmin Ali (international trade and industry), Hishammuddin Hussein (defence), Fadillah Yusof (works) and Mohd Radzi Jidin (education).
The three others in the first group were finance minister Tengku Zafrul Tengku Aziz, transport minister Wee Ka Siong and human resources minister M. Saravanan.
The second group consisted of : Maximus Johnity Ongkili (minister in the Prime Minister’s department, Sabah and Sarawak affairs), Ronald Kiandee (agriculture and food industries), Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man (environment and water), Hamzah Zainudin (home), Alexander Nanta Linggi (domestic trade and consumer affairs), Takiyuddin Hassan (energy and natural resources), and Noraini Ahmad (higher education).
In the third group were : Rina Mohd Harun (women, family and community development), Annuar Musa (communications and multimedia), Reezal Merican Naina Merican (housing and local government), Khairy Jamaluddin (health), Halimah Mohamed Sadique (national unity), Adham Baba (science, technology and innovation), and Mustapa Mohamed (minister in the Prime Minister’s department, economy)
The fourth group comprised: Saifuddin Abdullah (foreign), Zuraida Kamaruddin (plantation industries and commodities), Abdul Latiff Ahmad (minister in the Prime Minister’s department, special functions), Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar (minister in the Prime Minister’s department, Parliament and law), and Nancy Shukri (tourism, arts and culture).
While the fifth group consisted of : Mahdzir Khalid (rural development), Shahidan Kassim (Federal Territories), Faizal Azumu (youth and sports), Idris Ahmad (minister in the Prime Minister’s department, religious affairs).
The ceremony then proceeded with the swearing-in of the 37 deputy ministers and concluded with their photo session with the King and Queen.