Malaysia’s new Prime Minister Anwar said he would shrink his cabinet of ministers

KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia’s new prime minister, Anwar Ibrahim, said on Friday that his government’s cabinet will be smaller compared to his previous administration.

At a press conference, Datuk Seri Anwar, 75, also said support for the ruling coalition had exceeded two-thirds in parliament.

Anwar has started discussing the composition of the cabinet as he began serving as Malaysia’s prime minister at a difficult time, with the economy slowing and the country heavily divided after a closely contested election.

he was became prime minister on Thursday, It concludes a 30-year political journey from a disciple of veteran leader Mahathir Mohamad to a protest leader who is a convicted prisoner of sodomy and opposition figureheads.

Anwar arrived at Perdana Putra, home of the prime minister’s office, on Friday morning for his first day of work.

Dressed in a baju merayu, he waved to journalists camping outside the building, interacted with civil servants in the lobby, and then made his way to his office on the building’s fifth floor.

Mahathir took to Twitter to congratulate Anwar on his appointment as prime minister. The pair’s on-and-off feud has dominated Malaysian politics for the past two decades.

Anwar, who was appointed by the Malaysian king after inconclusive elections, said the Malaysian people had been waiting for change for a long time.

“We will never compromise on good governance, the anti-corruption movement, the independence of the judiciary and the welfare of ordinary Malaysians,” he said late Thursday.

Appointment of Mr. Anwar End unprecedented five-day post-election crisis However, it could usher in further instability with his rival, former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, and challenge him to prove a parliamentary majority.

Malaysia’s constitutional monarch, King Al-Sultan Abdullah, appointed Anwar after speaking with several lawmakers, although both coalition governments failed to win a majority in Saturday’s elections.

The campaign pitted Mr. Anwar’s progressive, multi-ethnic coalition against Mr. Muhyiddin’s mostly conservative Malay-Muslim coalition.

Anwar had been denied the premiership despite being on his side for years. In the meantime, he spent nearly a decade in prison on sodomy and corruption charges, which he says are politically motivated charges.

Uncertainty surrounding the election threatened to exacerbate instability in Malaysia, which has had three prime ministers for years, and also risked delaying policy decisions necessary for the election. encourage economic recovery.

“Anwar’s mission has just begun to unite a highly polarized and divided country on the basis of race and religion,” said Lim Kit Sian, a former lawmaker and member of the Allied Alliance.

Markets surged on Thursday at the end of the political stalemate, but investors are watching how Anwar manages the aftermath of the election.

Malaysian shares were flat on Friday morning after gaining 4% the day before, while the ringgit rose nearly 1%.