KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 12 — Newly appointed Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo said the ministry’s tasks and responsibilities will be decided soon after the scope and functions of the new ministry are known tomorrow.
Gobind said he would be attending the Cabinet Meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office tomorrow to understand the scope and functions of the newly established ministry as this is instrumental in formulating policies and plans that align with the ministry’s objectives, covering various timelines such as short-term, medium-term, and long-term goal.
“I will look into it starting tomorrow, and I believe that soon we will be able to develop a clear framework and strategic direction for the ministry’s activities and initiatives. We will hold a press conference soon,” he told a media briefing at the DAP building today.
Gobind, 50, previously the minister of communications and multimedia during the Pakatan Harapan-led government under former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, has made a comeback under the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, following his appointment today as the digital minister.
During the same press conference, DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke revealed that Ramkarpal Singh, the former deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) has chosen to resign voluntarily and that the decision was to prevent concerns about nepotism in the unity government’s Cabinet.
“As Ramkarpal and Gobind are siblings, having both in ministerial roles seemed inappropriate. He sacrificed his position to prevent criticism toward the DAP party, a spirit I value.” he said.
He also expressed his deep gratitude to Ramkarpal for his significant contributions to legal reform and the drafting of new laws during his year of service.
“At the same time, I would like to extend my highest appreciation to the former minister of human resources (V. Sivakumar) for his service over the past year. He issued a statement openly accepting the prime minister’s decision, which is commendable and appreciated by the party (DAP),” he added.
Also present at the media briefing were Minister of Human Resources Steven Sim Chee Keong, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) M. Kulasegaran, and Deputy Minister of Education Wong Kah Woh.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in announcing the Cabinet reshuffle today said this was carried out as the government needs to make adjustments to meet the current demands and situation. — Bernama
