PM hasn't made decision on Finance Minister's post
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim during his first day in the Prime Minister's Office at Perdana Putra today.
PUTRAJAYA - Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has yet to decide whether to hold the Finance Minister's portfolio in order to shrink the size of the cabinet he will form.
Anwar said his party were looking at all options and thus far, no decision has been made.
"We will examine all the possibilities, but so far I have not considered (the position of Finance Minister)," he told the media after performing Friday prayers at the Putra Mosque here on Friday.
The Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman had previously pledged to realise the promise of shrinking the size of his unity government cabinet to a maximum of 25 ministers compared to a total of 31 ministers under the administration of his predecessor Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
During his time as Deputy Prime Minister, Anwar held the Finance Minister's portfolio for eight years from 1990 to 1998 before being sacked from the cabinet by then Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
When asked about his first day as Prime Minister, Anwar said many issues had to be looked into and resolved.
"Today is good, but full of big issues that need to be researched and resolved," he said.
Anwar arrived at the Putra Mosque at 1pm before returning to the Prime Minister's Office at 2pm.
His presence was welcomed by thousands of worshippers who also attended Friday prayers.
Anwar took the oath of office as the 10th Prime Minister of Malaysia before the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah yesterday.
The swearing-in ceremony was held after the Yang di-Pertuan Agong refined the opinion of the Malay Rulers in coming to a decision five days after the official results of the 15th General Election (GE15) saw a hung parliament with no party garnering a simple majority of 112 seats in the Dewan Rakyat.
GE15 saw PH win 82 seats, PN (73), BN (30), GPS (23), Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (six), Warisan (three), Independent (two), while Parti Bangsa Malaysia and Parti Kejejahteraan Demokratik (KDM), each won one seat.
