BY NATASHA JEE & TANIA LAM
KUCHING: Sarawak’s new Cabinet ministers and assistant ministers were sworn in at the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) Complex in Petra Jaya tonight (Jan 4).
The swearing-in ceremony, which commenced at 8.50pm, first saw Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, followed by Deputy Chief Minister II Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan and Deputy Chief Minister III Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian taking their oath of office before Head of State Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud and his wife Toh Puan Datuk Patinggi Raghad Kurdi Taib.
Uggah also holds the portfolio of Second Minister of Finance and New Economy and Minister of Infrastructure and Port Development while Awang Tengah is also Second Minister of Natural Resources and Urban Development and Minister of International Trade and Investment and Dr Sim is also Minister of Public Health, Housing and Local Government.
The swearing-in ceremony was witnessed by Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg and his wife Datuk Amar Juma’ani Tuanku Bujang.
Abang Johari was sworn in as the chief minister before Taib at Astana Negeri on Dec 18 after the landslide victory of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) in the 12th state election.
With the formalities for the three deputy chief ministers completed, the rest of the ministers were sworn. They are Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah as Minister of Women, Childhood and Community Development; Datuk Seri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom (Minister of Modernisation of Agriculture and Regional Development); Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah (Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts and Minister of Youth, Sport and Entrepreneur Development); Datuk Seri Lee Kim Shin (Minister of Transport); Datuk John Sikie Tayai (Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department); Datuk Julaihi Narawi (Ministry of Utility and Telecommunication); and Datuk Roland Sagah Wee Inn (Minister of Education, Innovation and Talent Development).
After that was the swearing-in of the assistant ministers, starting with Datuk Francis Harden Hollis as Assistant Minister of Education, Innovation and Talent Development, followed by Datuk Dr Jerip Susil (Assistant Minister of Transport); Datuk Liwan Lagang (Assistant Minister of Utility and Telecommunication); Datuk Rosey Yunus (Assistant Minister of Women, Childhood and Community Development); Datuk Len Talif Salleh (Assistant Minister of Natural Resources and Urban Development); Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi (Assistant Minister of Utility and Telecommunication); Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail (Assistant Minister of Modernisation of Agriculture and Regional Development); Datuk Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali (Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department in charge of Law, MA63 and State-Federal Relations); and Dr Annuar Rapaee (Assistant Minister of Education, Innovation and Talent Development).
This was followed by the swearing-in of Datuk Dr Malcom Mussen Lamoh as Assistant Minister of International Trade and Investment; Datuk Dr Penguang Manggil (Assistant Minister of Public Health, Housing and Local Government); Datuk Snowdan Lawan (Assistant Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts); Datuk Abdullah Saidol (Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department in charge of Corporate Affairs, Information and UKAS); Datuk Sebastian Ting Chiew Yew (Assistant Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts); and Datuk Gerawat Gala (Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department in charge of Labour, Immigration and Project Monitoring).
The ceremony continued with the swearing-in of Dr Hazland Abang Hipni as Assistant Minister of Energy and Environmental Sustainability; Datuk Dr Juanda Jaya (Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department in charge of Integrity and Ombudsman); Ir Aidel Lariwoo (Assistant Minister of Infrastructure and Port Development); Datuk Henry Harry Jinep (Assistant Minister of Transport); Dr Ripin Lamat (Assistant Minister of Youth, Sport and Entrepreneur Development); Mohammad Razi Sitam (Assistant Minister of Women, Childhood and Community Development); Martin Ben (Assistant Minister of Modernisation of Agriculture and Regional Development); Datuk Majang Renggi (Assistant Minister of Infrastructure and Port Development); Jefferson Jamit Unyat (Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department in charge of Native Law and Customs); Datuk Gerald Rentap Jabu (Assistant Minister of Youth, Sport and Entrepreneur Development); and Michael Tiang Ming Tee (Assistant Minister of Public Health, Housing and Local Government).
Each minister and assistant minister received a letter of appointment and signed a letter of oath.
The new State Cabinet comprises 10 ministers and 26 assistant ministers. It includes 12 new faces appointed as assistant ministers, namely Gerawat, Juanda, Jefferson, Dr Hazland, Aidel, Majang, Tiang, Martin, Henry, Gerald, Ripin, and Mohammad Razi.
Also present at the ceremony was DUN Speaker Datuk Amar Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassar.
