“It’s up to the prime minister as the Cabinet is his prerogative.

“But it is not wrong to ask for ministerial posts,” Ahmad Maslan, an Umno Supreme Council member, was quoted as saying by Berita Harian.

The deputy works minister was referring to Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s call for the prime minister to ensure that his party is restored to its quota of seven ministers in the Cabinet following Tengku Zafrul Aziz’s resignation from the party.

Zahid said Umno had only six ministers now.

“With Tengku Zafrul no longer in Umno, the party has a right to request that a minister’s portfolio be given to us,” Zahid, the deputy prime minister, was quoted as saying.

Ahmad’s comments were also in response to Anwar’s statement that there was no pressing need for a Cabinet reshuffle despite the resignation of two ministers.

Rafizi Ramli and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad stepped down as economy minister and natural resources and environmental sustainability minister respectively, following their defeat at the PKR polls.

Rafizi lost his PKR deputy presidency to Anwar’s daughter, Nurul Izzah Anwar, while Nik Nazmi failed to be re-elected as a party vice-president.

A few days ago, DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook, who is transport minister, said the two posts had yet to be vacated as the PKR duo are merely on leave for now.