KUALA LUMPUR: The appointment of Datuk Seri Johari Ghani as plantation and commodities minister as part of the cabinet reshuffle means that all members of Umno's 'Top 5' are now in the federal cabinet.
Johari, who is Umno vice-president, is making a return to the cabinet after serving as Minister of Finance II in the Barisan Nasional (BN) administration from 2016 to 2018.
Also in the new cabinet lineup is Wanita Umno chief Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad, who has been appointed deputy women, family and community minister.
The cabinet reshuffle today saw Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi maintain his portfolio as the rural and regional development minister.
Deputy Umno president, Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, has switched portfolios from defence minister to foreign minister.
He replaces BN secretary-general Datuk Seri Zambry Abd Kadir, who is now Higher Education Minister.
Another Umno vice-president, Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, who was the higher education minister, is now assuming the defence minister role vacated by Mohamad.
Meanwhile, Umno information chief, Datuk Seri Azalina Othman, has kept her role as Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform).
The only two senior Umno leaders missing from the federal cabinet are Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail and Umno Youth chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh, due to their commitments at state level.
Wan Rosdy is the Pahang Menteri Besar while Dr Muhamad Akmal is the Melaka exco for rural development, agriculture and food security.
The inclusion of Umno's Top 5 in the cabinet appears to have further strengthened the party's role in the Unity Government, which comprises 19 political parties and 151 members of parliament.
There are currently 12 Umno MPs in the cabinet lineup, including seven ministers and five deputy ministers.
Umno currently has 26 MPs, as well as four BN MPs, giving them 30 representatives in the Dewan Rakyat.
Apart from Noraini, four other Umno Supreme Council members have been appointed as deputy ministers namely Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan, Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Mohamad, Datuk Mohamad Alamin and Datuk Seri Shamsul Anuar Nasarah.
Ahmad, formerly deputy finance minister I, has been appointed as deputy works minister.
Abdul Rahman, who is also Lipis MP, is now deputy human resources minister. He was formerly deputy works minister.
Mohamad, meanwhile, remains deputy foreign minister while Shamsul Anuar maintained his role as deputy home minister.
