NEWLY minted Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has said the cabinet appointments should not be viewed as “spoils of war” but a huge responsibility.

In a post on Facebook, the Umno president said he was humbled to be appointed to the position.

“Thank you for the prime minister’s trust in me, and my colleagues in Barisan Nasional, to be in the cabinet.

“This trust is not spoils of war, but a heavy responsibility amid a challenging global economic outlook,” Zahid, who was also named as the rural and regional development minister, said in the post.

The Bagan Datuk lawmaker said now was also the time for all quarters to stop acts of provocation, and allow Putrajaya to do its job and serve the people.

“Let’s not disrupt peace and unity in the society, as well as the government’s efforts to improve the country’s economy,” said Zahid.

Zahid appointment had drawn mixed reactions from those who did not want politicians with court cases to be appointed to the cabinet.

Apart from Zahid, other lawmakers with cases in court are DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng, Muda president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman and Sabah Umno chief Bung Moktar Radin.

Yesterday Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim unveiled his 28-member unity government cabinet, adding that the list of deputy ministers would be announced soon.

The members of the new cabinet announced 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. – December 3, 2022.