KUALA LUMPUR (May 12): The newly installed Pakatan Harapan government has named three senior cabinet ministers today, together with a special advisory council that consists of eminent Malaysians.

 

At a press conference today, Prime Minister (PM) Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said the three senior ministers were DAP's Lim Guan Eng as Finance Minister, Parti Amanah Negara president Mohamad Sabu as Minister of Defense, and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as Minister of Home Affairs.

 

"For the remaining seven key Ministries, the four parties under Pakatan Harapan will submit three names each, for consideration of PM, and the PM will make the decision. We want to have a small cabinet of 25 members, and maybe, if necessary, to have ministers from Sabah and Sarawak or other organisations," he said.

 

Mahathir said the naming of all 10 key Minister would be done by next week, before the remaining 15 Ministers are named.

 

"The swering-in of the new Cabinet will be done as quickly as possible after naming all the Ministers," he said.

 

The special advisory council, which Mahathir called the "council of the elders", includes of former Finance Minister Tun Daim Zainuddin, former Bank Negara Malaysia governor Tan Sri Zeti Akhtar Aziz, former Petroliam Nasional Bhd President and chief executive officer Tan Sri Hassan Merican, as well as businessman Robert Kuok Hock Nien and prominent economist Dr Jomo Kwame Sundaram.

 

The advisory team's Secretariat will be led by economist Dr Muhammed Abdul Khalid, while head of the media and communication team is National Journalism Laureate Datuk A Kadir Jasin.

 

Mahathir said the initial task for the special advisory council will be advising the government on economic and financial matters during this transitional period.

 

"The team will assist in shaping up policies and programmes to achieve the 100-day promise that Pakatan Harapan had made to the people. Thus the lifespan of this team will be 100 days," he said.