Sarawak assembly speaker Asfia Awang Nassar said the names and functions of existing ministries will remain unchanged. (Wikipedia pic)
PETALING JAYA: The Sarawak Cabinet will be expanded to accommodate more ministers in light of the growing administrative needs and development ambitions, said state assembly speaker Asfia Awang Nassar.
The current state Cabinet comprises 11 ministers, who are assisted by 26 assistant ministers.
Asfia said it is necessary to expand the Cabinet since it has taken on more responsibilities, adding that the number of state assembly seats has also increased from 82 to 99.
He said the names and functions of existing ministries will remain unchanged, although some ministers holding multiple portfolios may have their workloads reduced, The Borneo Post reported.
“The ministries remain. Their functions remain. The purpose of adding more ministers is so that ideally, one minister handles one portfolio, or at most two,” he said at a press conference in Kuching.
“Some ministers currently manage two or three portfolios. By increasing the number of ministers and redistributing portfolios, we can manage workloads more effectively.
“There may be differing opinions about increasing the number of ministers, but legal theory must yield to political reality. Sarawak needs a bigger Cabinet to achieve our goal of becoming a leading region in Asean, if not globally.”
Asfia said the expansion will not affect the number of deputy ministers, as there is no limit on their appointments.
Asked if some ministers might lose their current portfolios, he said the decision rests entirely with premier Abang Johari Openg, who will announce the full details during the upcoming state assembly meeting.
The next meeting will run for eight days from Nov 24 to Dec 3, excluding Nov 29 and Nov 30.
“We leave it to the premier to decide which minister will hold which portfolio, and how many ministers there will be. I will not disclose that at this time. The list is already with the premier,” Asfia said.
