PUTRAJAYA, June 28 — When Gerakan president Datuk Mah Siew Keong was appointed as the Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities, it was akin to a homecoming.

Mah, who was Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, said the post used to be termed as a ‘Gerakan portfolio’ as the late Tun Dr Lim Kheng Yaik was a minister for a long time.

Gerakan legend Tun Dr Lim Kheng Yaik, was the Minister of Primary Industries (the ministry’s former name) from 1986 to 2004.

"My friends in Gerakan regarded this new appointment as a homecoming,” said Mah, who was touched by the appointment, when met after clocking in at the ministry here, today.

He was welcomed at the ministry’s lobby by the ministry’s senior officials before being ushered to his office and later attended a closed-door briefing.

Mah said his vision is to enhance government-to-government initiatives and develop more value creation for Malaysian products especially palm oil.

Meanwhile, the newly appointed Deputy Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities, Datuk Nasrun Datu Mansur regarded his appointment as an opportunity for him to contribute to the country’s palm oil industry.

This is because his constituency of Silam in Sabah has more than one million acres of plantation under oil palm.

"I hope with the help of the minister I can contribute a lot for Sabah palm oil plantation which is the biggest in the country,” he said.

Mah and Nasrun were among those involved in the Cabinet reshuffle announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak on Monday. — Bernama