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Cabinet of Malaysia
Council of ministers who are accountable collectively to the Parliament
Council of ministers who are accountable collectively to the Parliament
The Cabinet of Malaysia (Malay: Jemaah Menteri Malaysia) is the executive branch of the Government of Malaysia. Led by the Prime Minister, the cabinet is a council of ministers who are accountable collectively to the Parliament. According to the Article 43 of the Federal Constitution, members of the Cabinet can only be selected from members of either houses of Parliament. Formally, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong appoints all Ministers on the advice of the Prime Minister. The constitution is amended by repealing the Clause (8) of Article 43, enabling a person who is a member of State Legislative Assembly to continue to serve even while serving as a minister or deputy minister in the cabinet. Ministers other than the Prime Minister shall hold office during the pleasure of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, unless the appointment of any Minister shall have been revoked by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on the advice of the Prime Minister but any Minister may resign from office. In practice, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong is obliged to follow the advice of the Prime Minister on the appointment and dismissal of ministers.
Cabinet appointments
Members of the Cabinet must be members of either house of Parliament. Most ministers are appointed from the lower house, the Dewan Rakyat, although a few are appointed from the upper house, the Dewan Negara. The Prime Minister must be a member of the Dewan Rakyat. Although Deputy Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries may be appointed to each portfolio, they are not included in the Cabinet. The Cabinet meets weekly, every Wednesday. After the position of Parliamentary Secretary was removed and partial live telecasts of Parliament proceedings began in 2008, Cabinet meetings were moved to Fridays whenever Parliament sat, so as to allow Ministers to personally answer questions during Question Time in Parliament.
Cabinet composition
The composition of the Cabinet, and the number of portfolios depends mainly on the wishes of the Prime Minister at the time. However, the post of Finance Minister was considered so important as to be a necessity, and as a result was incorporated by the Minister of Finance (Incorporation) Act 1957 (Act 375). The position of Deputy Prime Minister is one that exists by convention, and as a result a Prime Minister could theoretically form a Cabinet without a Deputy.
Deputy ministers exist for each portfolio, although they are not considered members of the Cabinet. The position of Deputy Minister was created by constitutional amendment in 1960. The office of parliamentary secretary for each ministry exists but none were appointed after the 2008 Malaysian general election. Parliamentary secretaries were provided for by an amendment in 1963. Deputy ministers and parliamentary secretaries are also appointed from members of Parliament, and deputise for the ministers in government ministries and in Parliament respectively. An additional office, that of the Political Secretary, exists. Political Secretaries need not be members of Parliament. Before taking office, all members of the Cabinet, Deputy Ministers, Parliamentary Secretaries, and Political Secretaries take an oath of secrecy concerning the proceedings of the Cabinet.
Functions of cabinet
An outline of the functions of the Cabinet are as follows:
- To formulate national economic policies and development programmes.
- The Cabinet is responsible to formulate various development programs and projects for the development of the country. Examples are the New Economic Policy (NEP), the National Development Policy (NDP), and the National Vision Policy (NVP).
- To set the budget and finance of the country.
- The government is allowed to generate revenues from the people through the collection of taxes, fines, summons, custom duties, fees, etc.
- The government is allowed to plan for the various development programs, and also to allocate the resources for these development plans and programs.
- As an arena for suggestions, debates, and criticisms.
- The Cabinet is allowed to discuss almost any issues of national interests, except those that touch on the special rights of the Malays, Bumiputeras and/or royal privileges. Article 153 (1): It shall be the responsibility of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to safeguard the special position of the Malays and Natives of any of the States of Sabah and Sarawak, and the legitimate interests of other communities in accordance with the provisions of this Article.
- To propose and amend the law.
- Law is proposed by the Executive and introduce in Parliament with the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd readings for approval.
- Most provisions for the amendments of the constitution requires a 2/3 majority of the total number of members from both of the Houses (Dewan Negara and Dewan Rakyat)
- The bill must be presented to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong for the final assent.
List of cabinets
23 cabinets have taken place in Malaysia since 1957 headed by nine Prime Ministers.
| No. | Name of cabinet | Head of cabinet | Period of office | Composition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rahman I | Tunku Abdul Rahman | 31 August 1957 – 19 August 1959 | |
| 2 | Rahman II | 22 August 1959 – 24 April 1964 | ||
| 3 | Rahman III | 25 April 1964 – 1969 | ||
| 4 | Rahman IV | 1969 – 21 December 1970 | 9 ministers | |
| 5 | Razak I | Abdul Razak Hussein | 22 December 1970 – 24 August 1974 | |
| 6 | Razak II | 25 August 1974 – 14 January 1976 | ||
| 7 | Hussein I | Hussein Onn | 15 January 1976 – 8 July 1978 | |
| 8 | Hussein II | 9 July 1978 – 15 July 1981 | ||
| 9 | Mahathir I | Mahathir Mohamad | 16 July 1981 – 21 April 1982 | |
| 10 | Mahathir II | 22 April 1982 – 2 August 1986 | ||
| 11 | Mahathir III | 11 August 1986 – 26 October 1990 | ||
| 12 | Mahathir IV | 22 October 1990 – 3 May 1995 | ||
| 13 | Mahathir V | 4 May 1995 – 14 December 1999 | ||
| 14 | Mahathir VI | 15 December 1999 – 2 November 2003 | ||
| 15 | Abdullah I | Abdullah Ahmad Badawi | 3 November 2003 – 26 March 2004 | |
| 16 | Abdullah II | 27 March 2004 – 18 March 2008 | ||
| 17 | Abdullah III | 19 March 2008 – 9 April 2009 | ||
| 18 | Najib I | Najib Razak | 10 April 2009 – 15 May 2013 | |
| 19 | Najib II | 16 May 2013 – 9 May 2018 | ||
| 20 | Mahathir VII | Mahathir Mohamad | 10 May 2018 – 24 February 2020 | |
| 21 | Muhyiddin | Muhyiddin Yassin | 1 March 2020 – 16 August 2021 | |
| 22 | Ismail Sabri | Ismail Sabri Yaakob | 27 August 2021 – 24 November 2022 | |
| 23 | Anwar | Anwar Ibrahim | 24 November 2022 – present |
Current Cabinet
Main article: Anwar Ibrahim cabinet
The current cabinet, led by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, succeeds the Ismail Sabri cabinet. Anwar formed his cabinet following the 2022 General Election.
As of 17 December 2025, the makeup of the current Cabinet is as follows:
| Minister | Office(s) | Department | Took office |
|---|---|---|---|
| [[File:20251026 Anwar Ibrahim 47th ASEAN Summit.jpg | 128x128px]] | **Anwar Ibrahim** | |
| MP for Tambun | Prime Minister | Prime Minister's Department | |
| Minister of Finance | Ministry of Finance | 3 December 2022 | |
| [[File:Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.png | 142x142px]] | **Dr. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi** | |
| MP for Bagan Datuk | Deputy Prime Minister | Prime Minister's Department | |
| Minister of Rural and Regional Development | Ministry of Rural and Regional Development | ||
| [[File:Fadillah Yusof in July 2025.jpg | 124x124px]] | **Fadillah Yusof** | |
| MP for Petra Jaya | Deputy Prime Minister | Prime Minister's Department | |
| Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation | Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation | 12 December 2023 | |
| [[File:Azalina Othman 2023.jpg | 125x125px]] | **Azalina Othman Said** | |
| MP for Pengerang | Minister in the Prime Minister's Department | Prime Minister's Department | |
| [[File:Ambassador McFeeters Meets with YB Hannah Yeoh, Minister of Youth and Sports (cropped).jpg | 117x117px]] | **Hannah Yeoh** | |
| MP for Segambut | Minister in the Prime Minister's Department | Prime Minister's Department | |
| [[File:Coat of arms of Malaysia.svg | 94x94px]] | **Mustapha Sakmud** | |
| MP for Sepanggar | Minister in the Prime Minister's Department | Prime Minister's Department | |
| [[File:YB Senator Dr Zulkifli Hasan.jpg | 117x117px]] | **Dr. Zulkifli Hasan** | |
| Senator | Minister in the Prime Minister's Department | Prime Minister's Department | |
| [[File:Japan Ambassador Takahashi meeting with YB Senator Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan, Second Finance Minister of Malaysia (cropped).jpg | 121x121px]] | **Amir Hamzah Azizan** | |
| Senator | Minister of Finance II | Ministry of Finance | |
| [[File:Anthony Loke (portrait, 4to3).jpg | 125x125px]] | **Anthony Loke** | |
| MP for Seremban | Minister of Transport | Ministry of Transport | |
| [[File:Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu (cropped).jpg | 111x111px]] | **Mohamad Sabu** | |
| MP for Kota Raja | Minister of Agriculture and Food Security | Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security | |
| [[File:Nga Kor Ming 응아 코 밍 20231024 in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea.jpg | 125x125px]] | **Nga Kor Ming** | |
| MP for Teluk Intan | Minister of Housing and Local Government | Ministry of Housing and Local Government | |
| [[File:Mohamad Hasan in 2024 (cropped).jpg | 128x128px]] | **Mohamad Hasan** | |
| MP for Rembau | Minister of Foreign Affairs | Ministry of Foreign Affairs | |
| [[File:YB Datuk Alex Linggi Nanta di UNIMAS (cropped).jpg | 125x125px]] | **Alexander Nanta Linggi** | |
| MP for Kapit | Minister of Works | Ministry of Works | |
| [[File:Saifuddin Nasution Ismail 2023.jpg | 125x125px]] | **Saifuddin Nasution Ismail** | |
| Senator | Minister of Home Affairs | Ministry of Home Affairs | |
| [[File:Mohamed Khaled Nordin, Malaysia Minister of Defense, at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) and 21th Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on June 1, 2024 (cropped).jpg | 125x125px]] | **Mohamed Khaled Nordin** | |
| MP for Kota Tinggi | Minister of Defence | Ministry of Defence | |
| [[File:Ambassador Brian McFeeters and MOSTI Minister YB Chang Lih Kang (cropped).jpg | 126x126px]] | **Chang Lih Kang** | |
| MP for Tanjong Malim | Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation | Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation | |
| [[File:Nancy Shukri 2020.jpg | 125x125px]] | **Nancy Shukri** | |
| MP for Santubong | Minister of Women, Family and Community Development | Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development | |
| [[File:Zambry Abdul Kadir May 2023.jpg | 119x119px]] | **Dr. Zambry Abdul Kadir | |
| **Senator | Minister of Higher Education | Ministry of Higher Education | |
| [[File:Tiong King Sing 2023.jpg | 125x125px]] | **Tiong King Sing** | |
| MP for Bintulu | Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture | Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture | |
| [[File:Fahmi Fadzil 2023 (cropped).jpg | 125x125px]] | **Fahmi Fadzil** | |
| MP for Lembah Pantai | Minister of Communications | Ministry of Communications | |
| [[File:Ambassador McFeeters meets with YB Fadhlina Sidek, Minister of Education.jpg | 125x125px]] | **Fadhlina Sidek** | |
| MP for Nibong Tebal | Minister of Education | Ministry of Education | |
| [[File:Coat of arms of Malaysia.svg | 94x94px]] | **Aaron Ago Dagang** | |
| MP for Kanowit | Minister of National Unity | Ministry of National Unity | |
| [[File:Armizan Mohd Ali (cropped).jpg | 126x126px]] | **Armizan Mohd Ali** | |
| MP for Papar | Minister of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living | Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living | |
| [[File:Johari Abdul Ghani 2017 (cropped).jpg | 133x133px]] | **Johari Abdul Ghani** | |
| MP for Titiwangsa | Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry | Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry | |
| [[File:Gobind Singh Deo - Global Conference for Media Freedom (48256794802) (cropped).jpg | 141x141px]] | **Gobind Singh Deo** | |
| MP for Damansara | Minister of Digital | Ministry of Digital | |
| [[File:Ybmk.jpg | 135x135px]] | **Dr. Dzulkefly Ahmad** | |
| MP for Kuala Selangor | Minister of Health | Ministry of Health | |
| [[File:Celebration of Women's Sports (48345549127) (cropped).jpg | 126x126px]] | **Steven Sim Chee Keong** | |
| MP for Bukit Mertajam | Minister of Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development | Ministry of Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development | |
| [[File:Coat of arms of Malaysia.svg | 94x94px]] | **Akmal Nasir** | |
| MP for Johor Bahru | Minister of Economy | Ministry of Economy | |
| [[File:ArthurJosephKurupDeputyMinisterofAgricultureandFoodSecurity2024.png | 128x128px]] | **Arthur Joseph Kurup** | |
| MP for Pensiangan | Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability | Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability | |
| [[File:Dr Noraini Ahmad Menteri Pengajian Tinggi Malaysia.jpg | 125x125px]] | **Dr. Noraini Ahmad** | |
| MP for Parit Sulong | Minister of Plantation and Commodities | Ministry of Plantation and Commodities | |
| [[File:Ramanan ramakrishnan official photo in 2024.jpg | 94x94px]] | **Ramanan Ramakrishnan** | |
| MP for Sungai Buloh | Minister of Human Resources | Ministry of Human Resources | |
| [[File:Mohammed Taufiq Johari in 2023.jpg | 118x118px]] | **Dr. Mohammed Taufiq Johari** | |
| MP for Sungai Petani | Minister of Youth and Sports | Ministry of Youth and Sports |
Inactive portfolios
Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security
-
Ministry of Agriculture
-
Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry
-
Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives
-
Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries
-
Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industries
-
Ministry of Agriculture and Lands
-
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry of Communications
-
Ministry of Communications
-
Ministry of Communications and Multimedia
-
Ministry of Communications, Telecommunications and Posts
-
Ministry of Information
-
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
-
Ministry of Information, Communications and Culture
-
Ministry of Information, Communications, Arts and Culture Ministry of Digital
-
(N/A)
Ministry of Domestic Trade and Costs of Living
- Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs
- Ministry of Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism Ministry of Economy
- Ministry of Economic Affairs
- Ministry of General Planning and Sosio-Economic Research Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation
- Ministry of Energy, Communications and Multimedia
- Ministry of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change
- Ministry of Energy, Technology and Research
- Ministry of Energy, Telecommunications and Posts
- Ministry of Energy, Water and Communications
- Ministry of Energy Transition and Public Utilities Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Co-operatives
- Ministry of Coordination of Public Corporations
- Ministry of Public Enterprises
- Ministry of Entrepreneur Development Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Ministry of External Affairs Ministry of Finance
- (N/A) Ministry of Home Affairs
- Ministry of Home Affairs and Justice
- Ministry of Internal Security
- Ministry of Justice
- Ministry of Law
- Ministry of the Interior Ministry of Human Resources
- Ministry of Labour
- Ministry of Labour and Manpower
- Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry
- Ministry of Commerce and Industry
- Ministry of International Trade and Industry
- Ministry of Trade and Industry Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability
- Ministry of Environment and Water
- Ministry of Lands and Co-operatives Development
- Ministry of Lands and Mines
- Ministry of Lands Development
- Ministry of Lands and Regional Development
- Ministry of Natural Resources
- Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities
- Ministry of Primary Industries Ministry of Rural and Regional Development
- Ministry of National and Rural Development
- Ministry of Rural Development
- Ministry of Rural Economy Development Ministry of Science and Technology
- Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment
- Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (Malaysia)
- Ministry of Technology, Research and Local Government Ministry of Tourism
- Ministry of Arts, Culture and Heritage
- Ministry of Culture and Tourism
- Ministry of Culture, Arts and Tourism
- Ministry of National Unity and Community Development
- Ministry of National Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage
- Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture
- Ministry of Tourism and Culture Ministry of Local Government Development
- Ministry of Federal Territories
- Ministry of Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing
- Ministry of Housing and Local Government
- Ministry of Housing and New Villages
- Ministry of Housing and Villages Development
- Ministry of Local Government and Environment
- Ministry of Local Government and Federal Territories
- Ministry of Local Government, Housing and Town Planning
- Ministry of Technology, Research and Coordination of New Villages
- Ministry of Territories
- Ministry of Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government
- Ministry of Federal Territories
- Ministry of Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development
- Ministry of General Welfare
- Ministry of National Unity
- Ministry of Social Welfare
- Ministry of Welfare Services
- Ministry of Women and Family Development Ministry of Works
- Ministry of Works and Energy
- Ministry of Works and Public Amenities
- Ministry of Works and Transport
- Ministry of Works, Posts and Telecommunications Ministry of Youth and Sports
- Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports
- Ministry of Youth, Culture and Sports Ministry of Health
- Ministry of Health and Social Welfare Minister in the Prime Minister's Department
- Minister with Special Functions
- Minister with Special Functions for Foreign Affairs
- Minister without Portfolio Others
- Chief Minister of Malaya
- Ministry of Sabah Affairs
- Ministry of Sarawak Affairs
References
References
- Hj. Mohd Jali, Nazaruddin, Redzuan, Ma'arof, Abu Samah, Asnarulkhadi & Hj. Mohd Rashid, Ismail (2003). ''Malaysian Studies: Nationhood and Citizenship'', p. 73. Pearson Malaysia. {{ISBN. 983-2473-91-8.
- Funston, John (2001). "Malaysia: Developmental State Challenged". In John Funston (Ed.), ''Government and Politics in Southeast Asia'', pp. 173–175. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.
- (9 April 2008). "Cabinet now to meet Fridays for ministers to attend parliament". The Malaysian Insider.
- Wu, Min Aun & Hickling, R. H. (2003). ''Hickling's Malaysian Public Law'', pp. 84–85. Petaling Jaya: Pearson Malaysia. {{ISBN. 983-74-2518-0.
- Wu & Hickling, p. 86.
- Jeong Chun Hai @ Ibrahim, & Nor Fadzlina Nawi. (2012). ''Principles of Public Administration: Malaysian Perspectives.'' Kuala Lumpur: Pearson Publishers. {{ISBN. 978-967-349-233-6
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