(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-03-19 15:42

KUALA LUMPUR -- Malaysia's new Cabinet, which were unveiled by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on Tuesday, were sworn in here on Wednesday at Istana Negara, or National Palace.

Members of the new Cabinet, which include Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Rarak and other 32 ministers, took the oath at the National Palace for a five-year term of office before Supreme HeadMizan Zainal Abidin.

Badawi, already sworn in on March 10 as Prime Minister, also attended the ceremony. He also holds the portfolio of Finance Minister. Najib is also the country's defense minister.

Badawi announced the lineup of his new government on Tuesday, appointing 32 ministers and 37 deputy ministers, more than half ofwhom were news faces. Badawi also merged the Internal Security Ministry with the Interior Ministry to form the Home Ministry.

Former Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar now takes the portfolio of Minister of Home Ministry, while Rais Yatim, minister of Arts, Culture and Heritage, replaced Syed Hamid to be the foreign minister.

Education Minister Hishammuddin Tun Hussein retained his portfolio, but eight former ministers were dropped from the new lineup, including Tourism Minister Adnan Tengku Mansor, trade minister Rafidah Aziz, and Interior Minister Radzi Sheikh Ahmad.

Rafidah, 64, became Malaysia's trade minister on May 20, 1987. She was believed to be the world's longest-serving trade minister.

Among those ministers sworn in on Wednesday included four new faces from the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), a major component party of the ruling coalition Barisan Nasional, or the National Front.

Ong Ka Chuan takes the portfolio of Housing and Local Government Ministry. Ong Tee Keat serves as Transport Minister. NgYen Yen becomes minister in charge of Women, Family and Community Development Ministry, and Liow Tiong Lai is Health Minister.

MCA President Ong Ka Ting and Malaysian Indian Congress President Samy Vellu were not named in the new Cabinet, but they were seen present at the sworn-in ceremony of the new Cabinet.

Deputy ministers in the new government lineup were also seen sworn in on Wednesday.

However, Anifah Aman Tuesday night reportedly turned down his appointment as Deputy Transport Minister in the new government line-up, saying he had already been a Deputy Minister for two terms and he quit the job for a younger person.

The ruling coalition National Front led by Badawi won the 12th General Election on March 8 with 140 seats in the lower house of the parliament, but failed to secure a two-third majority.

The coalition also failed to capture a simple majority in the legislative assemblies in five states, suffering a significant setback in its history.

Badawi urged new members of his government to perform better in their new term when he was announcing the list of the new government lineup on Tuesday.

Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, when commenting on the new lineup on Tuesday, said that the new government lineup had a good mix of new faces and veterans, believing it was the right combination.

The composition also reflected the power-sharing principle espoused by the National Front so that the interests of all were given the due attention, he said.

Najib said that he was confident and believed that each minister appointed had his or her own strengths.