KUALA LUMPUR, March 10 — The new Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition has appointed six senators who were sworn in today so they may take up roles in Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s administration.

The first to be sworn in was former Federal Territories mufti Datuk Seri Zulkifli Mohamad, who will head up the country’s Islamic affairs as the minister in Prime Minister’s Department in charge of Islamic affairs.

Second was former CIMB chief executive Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, whose appointment as the country’s finance minister has raised eyebrows as it is a very senior political post.

Third in line was former youth and sports minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman’s aide, Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad, who was appointed as deputy youth and sports minister.

MCA deputy-president Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon and vice-president Datuk Lim Ban Hong were also sworn in to allow them to become deputy education minister and deputy international trade and industry minister, respectively.

Barisan Nasional’s executive secretary Datuk Ahmad Masrizal Muhammad was the last one to be sworn in as a senator. He will be deputy environment minister.

All six took their oaths before Dewan Negara’s President Tan Sri SA Vigneswaran.

Zulkifli wore a black robe while the other Malay senators attended their swearing in ceremony in black baju Melayu with the two Chinese senators wearing suits.

The ceremony began at 10am at Parliament today and ended after 15 minutes.