2023 Malaysian cabinet reshuffle



Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim carried out the first cabinet reshuffle of his premiership on 12 December 2023. Amir Hamzah Azizan was appointed the Minister of Finance II, Steven Sim Chee Keong was promoted to the Minister of Human Resources to replace V. Sivakumar, Dzulkefly Ahmad was reappointed the Minister of Health to replace Zaliha Mustafa, Gobind Singh Deo was appointed the Minister of Digital and Johari Abdul Ghani was appointed the Minister of Plantation and Commodities to replace Fadillah Yusof.

Background
Salahuddin Ayub, the Minister of Domestic Trade and Costs of Living, died in office on 23 July 2023 as a result of brain hemorrhage. Armizan Mohd Ali, the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Sabah and Sarawak Affairs & Special Duties) was then appointed to replace Salahuddin as the acting minister on 30 July 2023. His death triggered the cabinet reshuffle as the vacant position he left was expected to be filled in the cabinet reshuffle. Before the reshuffle, speculations and rumours about the reshuffle have been rife. In response, Anwar, Deputy Prime Ministers Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Fadillah as well as other Cabinet ministers neither confirmed nor denied. They and other Members of Parliament (MPs) also stressed that carrying out a reshuffle is the prerogative of Anwar as the Prime Minister. Some political parties also voiced their opinions on the reshuffle. Anwar added that the vacant position would only be filled when there was a suitable candidate. Fadillah added that Anwar would carry out the reshuffle based on skillset, knowledge and expertise of an individual. On 11 December 2023, it was confirmed that the cabinet reshuffle would be carried out with the swearing-in ceremony of the new Cabinet ministers and deputy ministers taking place at the Istana Negara at 2.30 pm the following day on 12 December 2023.

Minister changes
While retaining their positions, both Deputy Prime Ministers Zahid and Fadillah were assigned with additional portfolios. Zahid is also responsible for National Disaster Management Agency, while Fadillah is responsible for Sabah and Sarawak, a portfolio which was held by Armizan Mohd Ali, now permanently appointed as Minister of Domestic Trade and Costs of Living and reassigned into new portfolio, namely Minister of Energy Transition and Public Utility, a new portfolio created after the previous Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change was splitted to two ministries, the other one being Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability which is being held by Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad. He was previously the NRECC minister. Meanwhile, Fadillah's previous portfolio, the Minister of Plantations and Commodities was held by Johari Abdul Ghani, which made his first ministerial appointment after five years.

The Ministry of Communications and Digital, which was led by Fahmi Fadzil, was another ministry that being splitted. He went on to became the Minister of Communications, while Gobind Singh Deo returned to the cabinet as the Minister of Digital, a portfolio that once being held by himself from 2018 until 2020 under the name of Ministry of Communications and Multimedia.

Zambry Abdul Kadir, Khaled Nordin and Mohamad Hasan, three Barisan Nasional member in the cabinet, swapped their portfolios between each other. Zambry was appointed as the Minister of Higher Education, replacing Khaled which himself succeed Mohamad as the Minister of Defence. Mohamad, on the other hand, was appointed as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, replacing Zambry.

Dr. Zaliha Mustafa was appointed as the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Federal Territories), signifying the return of that portfolio into the cabinet. Dr. Dzulkefly Ahmad reappointed as the Minister of Health after holding that position in the seventh Mahathir cabinet.

To assist Anwar as Minister of Finance, former chief executive officer of the Employees Provident Fund (EPF), Amir Hamzah Azizan was appointed as the ministry's second minister. His appointment as Senator hours before reshuffle announcement sparked rumours that he will joins the cabinet.

V. Sivakumar was the only minister to be dropped from the cabinet. His position was filled by Steven Sim Chee Keong, who was promoted as minister after serving as second Deputy Minister of Finance.