Dr Mahathir to stick with current Cabinet line-up

(TheStar) – Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has quashed talk of an impending Cabinet reshuffle, dismissing it as “fake news”.

“No reshuffle, no change. I stick with the same Cabinet.

“All rumours are fake news,” he told reporters at the National Chambers of Commerce and Industry Malaysia’s Chinese New Year open house jointly hosted with Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng at Wisma Chinese Chamber here yesterday.

A blog post had claimed that there would be a Cabinet reshuffle after the Chinese New Year, saying Economics Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Azmin Ali would replace Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as deputy prime minister.

On Tuesday, Dr Wan Azizah said she had not heard of a Cabinet reshuffle and that the question should be directed at Dr Mahathir.

Speculation over a Cabinet reshuffle has been rife since late last year.

Dr Mahathir had rubbished such news each time it was brought up by the media.

Dr Mahathir, who was acccompanied by his wife Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali, had arrived at about 10.40am.

Also at the open house was Dr Wan Azizah who was accompanied by her husband and PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Several other Cabinet ministers were also present. They included Home Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad and Energy, Technology, Science, Climate Change and Envioronment Minister Yeo Bee Yin.

Foreign dignitaries at the open house included Chinese Ambassador Bai Tian and British High Commissioner Vicki Treadell.

Thousands from the various communities attended the open house which began at 10am.