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KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Tuesday he had cut the number of cabinet positions from 90 to 68 in his post-election administration and that more than half were "new faces".
"More than half of the cabinet ministers are new faces and I hope they can serve the people effectively," he told a press conference.
Abdullah, who will keep the finance ministry portfolio to himself, retained Nor Mohamed Yakcop as the second finance minister. Najib Razak will remain as deputy prime minister.
The prime minister dropped Rafidah Aziz from the trade ministry, replacing her with outgoing agriculture minister Muhyiddin Yassin as the country's new trade minister.
He also named outgoing foreign minister Syed Hamid Albar as home minister, and Rais Yatim as the new foreign minister.
According to the line-up announced on Tuesday, Ong Tee Keat is named transport minister, while Mohd Zin Mohamed and Shaziman Abu Mansor are named works minister and telecoms minister respectively.
Abdullah said the outgoing CEO of Maybank, Amirsham Aziz, will head the economic planning unit under the finance ministry.
Abdullah has faced calls to rejuvenate his administration after a major setback for the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition in the March 8 polls which saw it lose its two-thirds parliamentary majority for the first time since 1969. - AFP/CNA/ac
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