BN finally sets up shadow cabinet, without Najib

PETALING JAYA: Barisan Nasional has set up a shadow cabinet comprising its members of Parliament (MPs) to play a check-and-balance role.
The cabinet, led by Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, has members from Umno, MCA, MIC and Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah.
"It will keep watch on government policies and formulate alternative policies to compete with Pakatan Harapan," said Umno secretary-general Tan Sri Annuar Musa, who announced the shadow cabinet in a press conference today.
Conspicuously missing from the line-up was former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak.
The cabinet adopts a portfolio committee system, with at least two MPs assigned to monitor each ministry. Each committee is expected to appoint at least three professionals, who may include women and youths.
Former deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid, who is Bagan Datuk MP, heads the committee on issues under the Prime Minister's Department.
Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin will lead the committee for Finance and also be in charge of formulating an alternative national budget.
Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakub have been put in charge of shadowing the Home Ministry.
Members of BN component parties also assigned are MCA's Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong (Transport), MIC's Datuk Sivarraajh Chandran (Primary Industries) and PBRS's Tan Sri Joseph Kurup (Rural Development).
The other MPs involved in the various portfolio committees are:
>> Home Affairs – Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim and Datuk Seri Adham Baba;
>> Defence – Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and Datuk Abdul Rahim Bakri;
>> Foreign Affairs – Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican;
>> Law – Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said and Datuk Seri Ronald Kiandee;
>> Economic Affairs – Datuk Seri Hasan Arifin;
>> Entrepreneurial Development – Datuk Seri Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim and Datuk Ahmad Nazlan Idris;
>> Primary Industries – Datuk Sivarrajh Chandran and Datin Mastura Yazid;
>> International Trade and Industry – Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan and Datuk Seri Ismail Mohd Said;
>> Rural Development: Tan Sri Annuar Musa and Datuk Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub;
>> Education – Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid and Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh;
>> Women, Family and Community Development – Datuk Noraini Ahmad and Datuk Azizah Mohd Dun;
>> Housing and Local Government – Tan Sri Noh Omar and Datuk Halimah Mohamed Sadique
>> Youth and Sports – Shahar Abdullah and Yamani Hafez Musa
>> Tourism, Arts and Culture – Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz and Datuk Jalaluddin Alias
>> Islamic Affairs – Datuk Shabudin Yahaya
>> Transport – Datuk Salim Sharif
>> Communications and Multimedia – Datuk Shamsul Anuar Nasarah and Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin
>> Agriculture and Agro-based Industry – Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman and Datuk Mohd Fasiah Mohd Fakeh
>> Health – Datuk Abdul Latif Ahmad and Datuk Rosol Wahid
>> Water, Land and Natural Resources – Datuk Seri Bung Mokhtar Radin and Datuk Nizar Zakaria
>> Works – Datuk Seri M. Saravanan and Datuk Abdul Rahman Mohamad
>> Energy, Technology, Science, Climate Change and Environment – Datuk Seri Ahmad Hamzah and Datuk Hasbullah Osman
>> Federal Territories – Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor and Datuk Rozman Isli