Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has formally announced his cabinet lineup, and Dato Seri Saifuddin Abdullah has taken the reins as the new Communications and Multimedia Minister. The deputy minister is Datuk Zahidi Bin Zainul Abidin. Saiffudin replaces Gobind Singh Deo, the former minister, appointed in May 2018 after the 14th General Elections.

Considering that all cabinet ministers, including Gobind, were removed from the cabinet after Tun Mahathir’s resignation as Prime Minister, it’s a welcome sight to see our government moving on. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong had also revoked all ministerial appointments with the advice of the Prime Minister, in accordance with the Federal Constitution’s Article 43(5) on 24th February 2020.

Saifuddin Abdullah was formerly the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and is currently an independet Member of Parliment for Indera Mahkota, Pahang. He had quit PKR, alongside Azmin Ali and nine other MPs but now he’s right back in the game. From 2009 to 2013, he was the Deputy Minister of Higher Education II, and the Deputy Minister of Entrepreneur and Co-operatives Development from 2008-2009.