Malaysia PM Anwar says no major Cabinet reshuffle on the cards, but still ‘need to fill vacancies’
There are currently three unfilled Cabinet posts, with one more expected on Tuesday after Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz ends his tenure as senator.
Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (centre) at the launch of Perodua’s first electric vehicle - the QV-E - along with Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz (left) on Dec 1, 2025. (Photo: Facebook/Anwar Ibrahim)
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Monday (Dec 1) said that a major reshuffle of his Cabinet is not on the cards, even as he acknowledged the need to fill vacancies left by the resignation of three ministers as well as one whose senatorship is set to end on Tuesday.
“This Cabinet will only function for a year plus, a year and a half, so I don’t think a major reshuffle is needed,” Anwar told reporters after an event in Kuala Lumpur.
“Nevertheless, I have convened the full Cabinet to decide on the next steps to be taken but there is a need to fill the vacancies,” he was quoted as saying by local news outlet Malay Mail.
Malaysia’s next general election is due by February 2028.
There has been speculation that a Cabinet reshuffle is imminent, considering that Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz's tenure as a senator ends on Tuesday and with it, his term as a minister.
The conclusion of the Sabah election over the weekend where the incumbent Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) - an ally of Anwar’s ruling coalition Pakatan Harapan (PH) - prevailed despite PH performing much worse than in the last election was also seen as another possible factor.
PH secured only one of 22 seats it contested while GRS won 29, more than the 25 garnered by its rival Warisan. Despite PH’s poor performance, it will be part of the new state government led by chief minister Hajiji Noor, leading to some speculation of potential horse-trading involving federal ministership.
Furthermore, one of the three current Cabinet vacancies was left by Sabah politician Ewon Benedick, who resigned as Minister of Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development in November over disagreements with the federal government on issues related to Sabah’s 40 per cent entitlement of federal net revenue derived from the state.
A minister must be an elected member of parliament (MP) in the lower house or an appointed senator in the upper house.
Tengku Zafrul has served for two terms as senator since 2020. He has held his current ministerial role throughout his time in the Senate, which is the maximum period allowed.
Earlier on Monday, the outgoing minister said that he remains unsure about the new role he will take on once his senatorship ends.
“It seems like I have been given another opportunity to continue serving but in what capacity I do not know and I am still waiting,” he reportedly told local media.
Anwar said that he will make an announcement regarding Tengku Zafrul’s new post on Dec 3, according to local media.
Besides Ewon’s previous post, two ministerial posts remain unfilled. The top posts at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability became vacant after Rafizi Ramli and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad resigned in May following defeats in party elections within the Parti Keadilan Rakyat.
Shortly after Ewon’s resignation, his party United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (UPKO) also left PH. However, UPKO has joined GRS and PH as part of the new state government led by Hajiji.
