PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin says that while the four senior ministers he appointed are all “equal”, Datuk Seri Azmin Ali will chair Cabinet meetings whenever he is absent.

“In my absence, Azmin will chair my Cabinet. If Azmin is absent, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob will chair,” he said at Perdana Putra here Wednesday (March 11) after chairing his first Cabinet meeting.

The meeting commenced at 9.25am and was attended by all 31 new ministers who were sworn in Tuesday (March 10).

Azmin is also International Trade and Industry Minister while Ismail is Defence Minister. The other two senior ministers are Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof (Works) and Dr Mohd Radzi Md Jidin (Education).

On March 9, Muhyiddin announced his Cabinet line-up, which did not include a deputy prime minister for the first time.

Muhyiddin, 72, was sworn in as Prime Minister on March 1.

Also present at Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting were Chief Secretary to the Government Datuk Seri Mohd Zuki Ali and Deputy Chief Secretary (Cabinet) Datuk Dr Farizah Ahmad.

More to come