Pakatan to announce names of 10 ministers on Saturday: Mahathir

KUALA LUMPUR: The names of ten new ministers of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) cabinet will be announced tomorrow, said Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad (pix), today.
"Today's meeting was mainly to lay down certain policies and implementing our promises as stated in our manifesto.
"However, we are forming a small cabinet first as it is important to get things going for the government," he told reporters after chairing the PH presidential council meeting at the Yayasan Al-Bukhary, here, today.
Stressing that the government will have a smaller cabinet compared to the previous administration, Mahathir said the ten initial portfolios include Finance; Home; Defense; Education; Rural Development; Economy; Public Works; Transport; Multimedia, Science and Technology and Foreign Affairs.
Stressing that he did not want to form a "huge cabinet", Mahathir stressed the ministries were of equal status.
"But certain ministries will continue to play a more prominent role."
Also present were, Amanah president Mohamad Sabu, PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng.
In addition to the announcement, Mahathir said the presidential council meeting will also be resumed tomorrow to identify ministerial candidates from the four components parties.
Mahathir also announced that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Muhammad V has indicated his willingness to give a full pardon to de facto PKR leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as soon as possible.
"We have made a promise in our manifesto that within the first 100 days we will achieve and implement 10 of the major conditions, that we want to.
"Among these, of course, is the abolition of the Goods and Services Tax (GST).
"But even before that, in the course of our discussion, our four-member discussion with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong yesterday, the Agong has indicated to one of us, actually to (Lim) Guan Eng, that he is willing to pardon Datuk Seri Anwar immediately," he said.
On diplomatic ties with other countries, Mahathir said the government will continue to maintain a good relationship with all countries without favouring any particular country.
"We are going to be neutral with all countries."