The Shadow Cabinet is led by Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi from Umno. ― Picture by Azneal Ishak

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 26 — Barisan Nasional (BN) has formed a Shadow Cabinet, the first in Malaysia’s history, led by Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi from Umno.

Umno secretary-general Tan Sri Annuar Musa said the Shadow Cabinet was formed by BN component parties — Umno, MCA and MIC — and will see two BN MPs monitoring each federal ministry.

“The committees are meant to function as a check and balance on each ministry, and also a ‘policy watch’ alongside formulating alternative policies in contrast to those of PH (Pakatan Harapan),” he said in a statement.

Based on the list provided, many of the Shadow posts are filled by MPs who formerly held those portfolios while BN was the federal government.

Khairy Jamaluddin holds the Shadow Finance Ministry portfolio with Joseph Kurup, while the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry portfolio is held by Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin and Datuk Seri Ikmal Hisham Abdul Aziz. Khairy will also take the lead in formulating the Alternative Budget 2019.

The others are:

Home Affairs - Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim and Datuk Seri Adham Baba

Defence - Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and Datuk Abdul Rahim Bakri

Foreign Affairs - Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican

Law - Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said and Datuk Seri Ronald Kiandee

Economic Affairs - Datuk Seri Hasan Arifin

Entrepreneurial Development - Datuk Seri Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim and Datuk Ahmad Nazlan Idris

Main Industry - Datuk Sivarrajh Chandran and Datin Mastura Yazid

International Trade and Industry - Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan and Datuk Seri Ismail Mohd Said

Rural Development - Tan Sri Annuar Musa, Datuk Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub and Arthur Joseph Kurup

Education - Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid and Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh.

Women, Family and Community Development - Datuk Noraini Ahmad and Datuk Azizah Mohd Dun

Housing and Local Government - Tan Sri Noh Omar and Datuk Halimah Mohamed Sadique

Youth and Sports - Shahar Abdullah and Yamani Hafez Musa

Tourism, Arts and Culture - Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz and Datuk Jalaluddin Alias

Islamic Affairs - Datuk Shabudin Yahaya

Transport - Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong and Datuk Salim Sharif

Communications and Multimedia - Datuk Shamsul Anuar Nasarah and Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin

Agriculture and Agro-based Industry - Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman and Datuk Mohd Fasiah Mohd Fakeh

Health - Datuk Abdul Latif Ahmad and Datuk Rosol Wahid

Water, Land and Natural Resource - Datuk Seri Bung Mokhtar Radin and Datuk Nizar Zakaria

Works portfolio - Datuk Seri M. Saravanan and Datuk Abdul Rahman Mohamad

Energy, Technology, Science, Climate Change and Environment - Datuk Seri Ahmad Hamzah and Datuk Hasbullah Osman

Federal Territories - Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor and Datuk Rozman Isli