New Cabinet needs to be sensitive to current needs, trustworthy and restore public confidence - PM Ismail Sabri

The Prime Minister said he would ensure that the Cabinet is committed to achieving the national agenda through cross-party cooperation to drive economic recovery for the wellbeing of the people.

He also pledged to ensure that the new line-up would give emphasis on high-performance work culture and that each ministry has to have short- and long-term plans, achieve all the set targets and prove their early achievements in the first 100 days.

"The Cabinet line-up comprises a combination of experienced people believed capable of reviving the economy by supporting the entrepreneurs, facilitating businesses, revitalising economic activities and strengthening investors' confidence."

He said during the announcement on the new Cabinet line-up at Perdana Putra, which was aired live on local television channels today.

Ismail Sabri also stressed that the new Cabinet is a management team that will work with the people by using a new approach that is more open and upholding the aspiration of the Malaysian Family through more efficient service and information delivery.

"The Cabinet has to work fast and in unity in a bid to free Malaysia from the threats of COVID-19 pandemic, economic uncertainty and political turmoil.

"Everybody knows the situation of the country when I was appointed. So, the formation of the Cabinet is a reformulation based on current situations, for the sake of maintaining stability and putting the interests and safety of the Malaysia Family first," he said.

At the same time, he also expressed hope that the new Cabinet would give new confidence for the country to bounce back and be united in fighting COVID-19 and free the Malaysian Family from the difficult living situation due to the pandemic.

Acknowledging that the country is currently under a difficult situation due to COVID-19, economic uncertainty and unstable political landscape, Ismail Sabri said the mission towards recovery need the Cabinet to strive and work closely with the people with the support from all civil servants.

Ismail Sabri said based on the World Health Organisation's (WHO) projection, the people around the world will have to live with COVID-19 which will become endemic and a permanent part of human existence.

He said the world had recorded the emergence of Variants of Concern (VOC) which are more aggressive and could even infect those who were fully vaccinated.

Besides, he said the global spread of COVID-19 had directly impacted the growth and demand of the local economy.

"I am aware that the national economy needs to be revived as soon as possible. In this regard, the Cabinet and the ministries must be able to shoulder the responsibility in a committed and more proactive manner," he said.

The Prime Minister said the government would also empower the Agenda Nasional Malaysia Sihat (ANMS) in educating the Malaysian Family to co-exist with the coronavirus while controlling the risks of COVID-19 and adapting to the new norms.

"In line with the National Recovery Plan (PPN), economic activities will be opened in phases to enable the people to safely return to work and earn a living," said.