Mahathir meets with Anwar to finalise cabinet line-up

PETALING JAYA: PKR vice president Rafizi Ramli said negotiations on cabinet appointments for the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government are still ongoing.
In a statement today addressing the issue, he said in reference to Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's announcement of three component party leaders to hold senior portfolios in the new government, PKR is still continuing to hold talks with the PH presidential council.
"Mahathir is seeing PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim at the Cheras Rehabilitation Hospital to discuss these appointments," he added.
He stressed that any decision on appointments must be agreed jointly by all component parties in PH.
"PKR hopes that the negotiation processes will be done in the spirit of goodwill that will help strengthen the PH government," he added.
Rafizi's statement came after Mahathir had earlier announced three senior ministers in the cabinet line-up for the PH government.
He announced DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng as Finance Minister, PPBM president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as Home Affairs Minister and Amanah president Mohamad Sabu as Defense Minister.
He also announced the forming of an Elders Council to oversee the government administration and decision-making process.
Its members include former Finance Minister Tun Daim Zainudin, former Bank Negara governor Tan Sri Zeti Akhtar Aziz, industry moghul Tan Sri Robert Kuok, former Petronas president Tan Sri Hassan Marican and economist Prof Jomo Kwame Sundram.
As for the remaining seven ministries in the senior cabinet, Mahathir said that he had requested for each party in the coalition to submit three names each for consideration.