This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily on July 18, 2018

KUALA LUMPUR: Senator P Waytha Moorthy was appointed minister of national unity and social well-being in the Prime Minister’s Department and four other senators were named as deputy ministers yesterday.

Penang Bersatu chief Senator Marzuki Yahya was appointed deputy foreign minister and Ketereh Bersatu chief Senator Dr Mohd Radzi Md Jidin was named deputy economic affairs minister.

Johor DAP chairman Senator Liew Ching Tong was appointed deputy defence minister and Terengganu Amanah chairman Senator Datuk Raja Kamarul Bahrin Shah Raja Ahmad was made deputy housing and local government minister.

The five senators took their oaths of office before the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Muhammad V, at Istana Negara, Bernama reported.

Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his wife Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali and Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail witnessed the ceremony.

Liew, previously Kluang member of parliament, lost by a slim margin to MCA’s Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong when he contested the Ayer Hitam seat in the May 9 general election.

Waytha Moorthy, 52, was made a senator in 2013 before becoming a deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of Indian community affairs in the previous government.

However, he left within a year of being appointed, alleging the government had failed to attend to the Indian community’s needs.

“I feel much better and comfortable [now] as opposed to the previous event when I was in the government. I left on the grounds of principle as former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak did not keep to his word,” he said.

“I am very confident that the Pakatan Harapan government will resolve the long-standing issues affecting the marginalised Indian community as well as all other marginalised communities.

“I had a lengthy chat with Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, and he is very supportive and understands the marginalised communities’ predicaments and he has given the mandate and assurance to serve the people.”