Hassanal Bolkiah carried out the seventh reshuffle of his government on 7 June 2022, appointing the first female cabinet minister and replacing seven ministers. The announcement was delivered during a televised speech at 3:00 pm. The previous cabinet had been reshuffled in 2018 for a five-year term, the sultan unexpectedly introduced this significant change midway through 2022.
This cabinet reshuffle brought about several significant changes. Romaizah Mohd Salleh was appointed as minister of education, marking a historic milestone as the first female minister since the government's establishment in 1959. The sultan retained control of key portfolios, including foreign affairs, finance, defence, and the prime ministership. Crown Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah continued his role as senior minister in the PMO, while Abu Bakar Apong, the home affairs minister and the second-longest serving cabinet member after Isa Ibrahim, was replaced. Unlike the usual five-year term, all new appointments will serve four-year terms.
The sultan emphasised that the appointments represent a trust that must be honoured with unwavering loyalty and accountability as he announced the new lineup of ministers and deputy ministers. A local media analyst, speaking anonymously to Xinhua, suggested that the early cabinet reshuffle was aimed at injecting fresh energy and enthusiasm into the administrative system while maintaining stability in critical areas of both domestic and international affairs.
This was the first and only significant cabinet reshuffle carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brunei.
Cabinet-level changes Colour key Minister Position before reshuffle Result of reshuffle Abdul Mutalib Minister of Transport and Infocommunications Left the government Juanda Abdul Rashid None Became Minister of DevelopmentAhmaddin Abdul RahmanDeputy Minister of FinanceBecame Minister of Home Affairs Abu Bakar Apong Minister of Home Affairs Left the government Ali ApongMinister of Primary Resources and TourismLeft the government Suhaimi Gafar Minister of Development Left the government Abdul Manaf Metussin Deputy Minister of Finance and Economy Became Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism Pengiran Shamhary Managing Director of Brunei Gas Carriers Became Minister of Transport and InfocommunicationsAminuddin IhsanMinister of Culture, Youth and SportsLeft the government Nazmi Mohamad Permanent Secretary (Corporate Affairs and Public Administration) at the Prime Minister's Office Became Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Halbi Mohammad Yussof Minister of Defence II Became Minister at the Prime Minister's OfficeRomaizah SallehDeputy Minister of EducationBecame Minister of Education
Junior ministerial changes Colour key Minister Position before reshuffle Result of reshuffleKhairuddin Abdul HamidPermanent Secretary (Investment) at the Ministry of Finance and EconomyBecame Deputy Minister of Finance and EconomyAbdul Razak Abdul KadirCommander of the Royal Brunei Land ForceBecame Deputy Minister of DefenceMarzuke MohsinDeputy Minister of DevelopmentLeft the governmentPengiran BahromDeputy Minister of Religious AffairsLeft the governmentPengiran Mohammad TashimJudge of the Syariah Appeal CourtBecame Deputy Minister of Religious AffairsPengiran Zety SufinaPermanent Secretary (Industry) at the Ministry of Finance and EconomyBecame Deputy Minister of Finance and EconomySufian SabtuPermanent Secretary (Safety, Enforcement and Law) at the Prime Minister's OfficeBecame Deputy Minister at the Prime Minister's OfficeRiza YunosPermanent Secretary (Media and Cabinet) at the Prime Minister's OfficeBecame Deputy Minister at the Prime Minister's Office
Later changes Between the 2018 and 2022 cabinet reshuffles, several minor changes were introduced. The first occurred on 26 February 2023, when the sultan immediately terminated Abdul Razak Abdul Kadir's appointment as deputy minister of defence and director of the Ministry of Defence's Department of Planning and Strategy. From 27 February, the deputy minister of defence position was abolished, and Halbi bin Mohammad Yussof, the minister in the PMO, was appointed acting minister of defence II. Later that year, on 23 October, the sultan ordered the termination of Matsatejo Sokiaw's appointment as deputy minister (energy) at the PMO. From 24 October, Farida Talib was appointed permanent secretary (energy) at the PMO, while Azmi Hanifah succeeded Sokiaw as deputy minister (energy). Colour key Minister Position before reshuffle Result of reshuffle Effective fromAbdul Razak Abdul KadirDeputy Minister of DefenceLeft the government26 February 2023Halbi Mohammad YussofMinister at the Prime Minister's OfficeBecame Minister at the Prime Minister's Office and Minister of Defence II27 February 2023Matsatejo SokiawDeputy Minister (Energy) at the Prime Minister's OfficeLeft the government24 October 2023Azmi HanifahDeputy Managing Director and Commercial Director of Brunei Shell PetroleumBecame Deputy Minister (Energy) at the Prime Minister's Office24 October 2023
Notes
References