THE appointment of Fadillah Yusof as one of two deputy prime ministers in the unity government cabinet is historic as he is the first Sarawak MP to hold the position.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced his appointment during the unveiling of his cabinet at Perdana Putra, Putrajaya tonight. 

Fadilah, 60, is Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) senior vice-president and will also hold the Plantation Industries and Commodities portfolio.

He is one of five Sarawakian MPs appointed as cabinet ministers. The other four are from Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), Alexander Nanta Linggi who was appointed as Works Minister, Tiong King Sing (Tourism Minister), Nancy Shukri (Women, Family and Community Development Minister) and Aaron Ago Dagang (National Unity Minister). 

They are joined by two Sabahans, Pakatan Harapan’s Ewon Benedick who will helm the Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Ministry, and Armizan Mohd Ali of GRS, who has been appointed as Minister in Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah dan Sarawak). 

The prime minister also announced Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as the other deputy prime minister in his 28-member unity government cabinet, adding that the list of deputy ministers would be announced soon.

The members of the new cabinet announced today are scheduled to take their oaths of office in front of Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah in Istana Negara tomorrow. – Bernama, December 2, 2022.