Dropped from Cabinet, Sivakumar says he respects PM’s decision, did his best

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 12 — Batu Gajah MP V. Sivakumar today said he respects Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s decision to remove him from the federal Cabinet in a much anticipated reshuffle.

The former human resources minister was the sole person who was not given a post in the new Cabinet line-up announced by Anwar this morning.

“I respect the prime minister’s decision and I have done my best,” he told Malay daily Berita Harian when contacted for an immediate response to the announcement.

Posting on X — the microblogging platform formerly known as Twitter — later, Sivakumar thanked the Human Resources Ministry and other government officials for all their support during his service in the past one year.

He also offered an apology for any missteps he could have made during his term in government and expressed his hopes that the government under Anwar will continue its work in the best interest of all Malaysians.

The DAP lawmaker congratulated his fellow party colleague Steven Sim who was earlier named his successor to the Human Resources Ministry.

Much of Sivakumar’s brief tenure has been shadowed by a corruption controversy over alleged cash kickbacks from an unnamed businessman after two aides were arrested for a police investigation back in April.

Two deputy ministers were also dropped from the new Cabinet: Ramkarpal Singh who was in the Prime Minister’s Department (Legislation and Institutional Reform), and Datuk Siti Aminah Aching from the Plantation and Commodities Ministry.

Anwar also introduced four new ministries, enlarging his administration from 28 to 31.

They are: Energy Transition and Public Utilities Ministry, Natural Resources and Sustainability Ministry, Communication Ministry and Digital Ministry.