PUTRAJAYA is still finalising the list of agencies that will be reshuffled under different ministries, said Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

“I do not know in detail but we are still arranging departments that will be put under their respective ministries because we have new ministries,” Dr Mahathir told reporters at a press conference in the Parliament lobby today.

He also said the new government needs to define the role of ministers well to prevent overlapping among the ministries and their functions.

“We are also in the midst of segregating the duties to the other ministries.

“Sometimes there are overlaps between ministries so we will have to correct it,” Dr Mahathir said.

A list of agencies that will purportedly be reshuffled within different ministries was leaked last week.

The newly-formed Ministry of Economic Affairs is believed to now include agencies like Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA), Felda, Felda Global Ventures Holdings Bhd and Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB).

Umno vice-president Ismail Sabri Yaakob told the Dewan Rakyat today that MARA needs to be still under the minister of rural and regional development, which he previously headed.

“MARA needs to be there to have a comprehensive treatment under the rural ministry instead of switching,” he said. 

Under the proposed reshuffling, the National Civics Bureau (BTN) and the National Service Training Programme (PLKN) will also be rebranded and placed under the Youth and Sports Ministry.

However, Minister Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman said nothing has been finalised yet.

“No idea. From what I understand, nothing is finalised,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

Last week, chief secretary Ali Hamsa said he has instructed the authorities to investigate the possible leaks as it is viewed as a sabotage to the current government. – July 30, 2018.