The Shadow Cabinet of Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was established on 26 September 2018.[1] [2] The purpose of this Shadow Cabinet is to provide a check and balance role for Mahathir Mohamad's Pakatan Harapan coalition,[3] which formed a government (with the confidence and supply of WARISAN and UPKO) on 10 May 2018.
Barisan Nasional (BN), under the second-term leadership of then UMNO president Najib Razak, was defeated in the 14th General Election and became the Opposition in the Parliament for the first time in Malaysian history. Rembau Member of Parliament (MP) Khairy Jamaluddin promised a shadow cabinet if he was elected UMNO president. He made such a promise to demonstrate the ability of BN to be a formidable opposition in the Parliament.[4] But the majority of UMNO divisions elected former deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as president. He was later formalised by the Parliament as Leader of the Opposition replacing current Deputy Prime Minister Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
Khairy continued to call for the establishment of a shadow cabinet from Zahid despite being defeated in the UMNO presidential election. Khairy had even claimed that BN has established a shadow cabinet and its MPs were given portfolios, which was confirmed by UMNO secretary-general, Ketereh MP Annuar Musa, on 26 July.[5] However, this claim was dismissed by Zahid on 4 August.[6]
In previous parliamentary terms, Malaysia has never had a shadow cabinet.[7] Then Pakatan Rakyat leader Anwar Ibrahim appointed a Frontbench Committee in the 12th Parliament, and DAP appointed spokespersons among MPs in the 13th Parliament, but never a full shadow cabinet.
This Shadow Cabinet is the first-ever to be formed in the history of Malaysia, by the largest opposition coalition of Barisan Nasional consisting of UMNO, MIC and MCA.[8] This Shadow Cabinet is led by Leader of the Opposition Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and applies the Portfolio Committee system.[9] The sole Member of Parliament (MP) from the PBRS is the only other representative even though UMNO Secretary-General Annuar Musa has encouraged MPs from the Sarawak Parties Alliance, Malaysian Islamic Party and United Alliance (Sabah) to join the committee.[10]
The only portfolio from the actual Cabinet of Malaysia not to have a counterpart in this Shadow Cabinet is National Unity and Social Well-being.
As of 14 December 2018, the Shadow Cabinet consists of the 38 following opposition MPs:
(36) (1) (1)
| width=400px | Portfolio | width=200px | Leader | Party | width=125px | Constituency | width=200px | Deputy Leader | Party | width=125px | Constituency | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime Minister's Department | Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (Leader of the Opposition) | UMNO | Bagan Datok | Ismail Sabri Yaakob | UMNO | Bera | |||||||
| Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah | UMNO | Gua Musang | |||||||||||
| Home Affairs | Dr. Shahidan Kassim | UMNO | Arau | Dr. Adham Baba | UMNO | Tenggara | |||||||
| Defence | Hishammuddin Hussein | UMNO | Sembrong | Vacant[11] [12] | |||||||||
| Human Resources | Dr. Ismail Abdul Muttalib | UMNO | Maran | Vacant | |||||||||
| Foreign Affairs | Reezal Merican Naina Merican | UMNO | Kepala Batas | Vacant | |||||||||
| Law | Azalina Othman Said | UMNO | Pengerang | Vacant[13] | |||||||||
| width=400px | Portfolio | width=200px | Leader | Party | width=125px | Constituency | width=200px | Deputy Leader | Party | width=125px | Constituency | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finance | Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar | UMNO | Rembau | Vacant[14] | |||||||||
| Economic Affairs | Hasan Arifin | UMNO | Rompin | Vacant | |||||||||
| Entrepreneurship Development | Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim | UMNO | Baling | Ahmad Nazlan Idris | UMNO | Jerantut | |||||||
| Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs | Vacant[15] | Vacant[16] | |||||||||||
| Primary Industries | Vacant[17] | Mastura Mohd. Yazid | UMNO | Kuala Kangsar | |||||||||
| International Trade and Industry | Ahmad Maslan | UMNO | Pontian | Dr. Ismail Mohamed Said | UMNO | Kuala Krau | |||||||
| width=400px | Portfolio | width=200px | Leader | Party | width=125px | Constituency | width=200px | Deputy Leader | Party | width=125px | Constituency | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rural Development | Annuar Musa | UMNO | Ketereh | Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub | UMNO | Machang | |||||||
| Education | Mahdzir Khalid | UMNO | Padang Terap | Idris Jusoh | UMNO | Besut | |||||||
| Women, Family and Community Development | Dr. Noraini Ahmad | UMNO | Parit Sulong | Vacant[18] | |||||||||
| Housing and Local Government | Noh Omar | UMNO | Tanjong Karang | Halimah Mohd. Sadique | UMNO | Kota Tinggi | |||||||
| Youth and Sports | Mohd. Shahar Abdullah | UMNO | Paya Besar | Vacant[19] | |||||||||
| Tourism, Art and Culture | Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz | UMNO | Padang Rengas | Jalaluddin Alias | UMNO | Jelebu | |||||||
| Religious Affairs | Vacant[20] | Zahidi Zainul Abidin | UMNO | Padang Besar | |||||||||
| width=400px | Portfolio | width=200px | Leader | Party | width=125px | Constituency | width=200px | Deputy Leader | Party | width=125px | Constituency | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transport | Ir. Dr. Wee Ka Siong | MCA | Ayer Hitam | Mohd. Salim Shariff | UMNO | Jempol | |||||||
| Communication and Multimedia | Dr. Shamsul Anuar Nasarah | UMNO | Lenggong | Vacant | |||||||||
| Agriculture and Agro-based Industry | Tajuddin Abd. Rahman | UMNO | Pasir Salak | Vacant[21] | |||||||||
| Health | Vacant[22] | Vacant[23] | |||||||||||
| Water, Land and Natural Resources | Bung Moktar Radin | UMNO | Kinabatangan | Mohd. Nizar Zakaria | UMNO | Parit | |||||||
| Public Works | Saravanan Murugan | MIC | Tapah | Abdul Rahman Mohamad | UMNO | Lipis | |||||||
| Energy, Technology, Science, Climate Change and Environment | Ahmad Hamzah | UMNO | Jasin | Hasbullah Osman | UMNO | Gerik | |||||||
| Federal Territories | Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor | UMNO | Putrajaya | Vacant[24] [25] | |||||||||