KUALA LUMPUR, 2 July — A total of 13 ministers and 23 deputy ministers were sworn in before the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Muhammad V at the ceremony at the Istana Negara in the capital city.
Among the Cabinet Ministers who were sworn in today were Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah as Foreign Affairs Minister, Dr Xavier Jayakumar as Natural Resources and Environment Minister, Khalid Samad as Federal Territories Minister, Darell Leiking as International Trade and Industry Minister, and Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman as Youth and Sports Minister.
In his first official statement as Youth and Sports Minister, Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman said that the new government intends to place Malaysia’s youth at the forefront of the nation’s efforts towards progress.
“This government believes that that the youth should be the ones to determine their own direction and future,” Syed Saddiq said.
Khairy Jamaluddin, his predecessor, congratulated the new Minister via Twitter today.
“Congratulations, Syed Saddiq, on the appointment as the new youth and sports minister. I pray he will bring greater success to the Youth and Sports Ministry,” Khairy wrote.
Syed Saddiq, 25, is the youngest member of the Cabinet in Malaysian history.
A number of Malaysian netizens, however, have expressed their lack of confidence in Syed Saddiq’s appointment of Youth and Sports Minister, ironically due to his young age.
User Wendy Cheah commented:
“Steven Sim should be the minister and Syed Saddiq the deputy, that’s my 2 cents”
User Paandi Thevan Arunasalam echoed the previous sentiment in his comment:
“Inexperienced… Shud appoint as deputy.. Not full minister”
User Pretam Singh further chimed in:
“There are many deserving MPs from Pakatan Harapan who have worked hard and sacrificed and served the rakyat for many years who should be considered. No doubt he is very vocal and capable, but he is still young and should wait his turn, learn to be an MP and serve the rakyat first. Well, this is only possible because he has been hand picked, should rise through rank and file, learn the ropes, be an ADUN first, then an MP, and then Minister. That’s just my sincere take on this; nothing personal against YB Syed Saddiq. Anyway, congratulations and all the best.”
However, user Abu Talib Aboo Bakar believes that young politicians such as Syed Saddiq should be given the time and opportunity to become Ministers, and should not be discounted for their relative young age and inexperience:
“After some of the best times in this country’s history like the earlier part of Mahathir administration and next with Anwar Ibrahim, have we prepared anyone else or have we spotted anyone with calibre?
It’s just that age is a biological thing, therefore it is also about what fate holds for us. Therefore discriminating by age is rigging our fate e.g. what age to marry?, what age when you hold the PM’s post.
Everything by experience – to have experience you need to go thru it but you only go thru things at only certain age is also true and determined by God and Nature.”