Najib, 54, who was reappointed Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister, took the oath of office and pledge of loyalty and secrecy before Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin in the ceremony which started at 11.05am.

This was followed by five senior ministers who took their oath of office and pledge of allegiance and secrecy led by Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar.

Others were Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Tan Sri Bernard Dompok, International Trade and Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz and Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein.

The next group were Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim, Second Finance Minister Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop, Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Peter Chin Fah Kui, Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage Minister Datuk Mohd Shafie Apdal and Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.

Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Minister Datuk Mustapa Mohamed led the third group of ministers comprising Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Dr Maximus Johnity Ongkili, Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Zulhasnan Rafique and Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Douglas Uggah Embas.

Others who took their oath of office and pledge of loyalty and secrecy were Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development Minister Datuk Noh Omar, Transport Minister Datuk Ong Tee Keat, Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen and Works Minister Datuk Mohd Zin Mohamed; Energy, Water and Communications Minister Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor, Health Minister Datuk Liow Tiong Lai, Information Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek, Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S Subramaniam, Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Shahrir Abdul Samad; Rural and Regional Development Minister Senator Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib, Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Ong Ka Chuan, Ministers in the Prime Minister’s Department Senator Datuk Mohd Zaid Ibrahim and Senator Datuk Amirsham A Aziz, and Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

The next group who took their oath of office and pledge of allegiance and secrecy were deputy ministers.

They are Tan Sri Joseph Kurup, Joseph Entulu Belaun —  Rural and Regional Development;   Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad — Health;  Datuk Ahmad Husni Mohamad Hanadzlah, Datuk Kong Cho Ha — Finance; Datuk Robert Lau Hoi Chew, Datuk Hamzah Zainudin — Housing and Local Government; Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum  — Energy, Water and Communications;    Datuk Wira Abu Seman Yusop  — Defence;   Datuk Yong Khoon Seng — Works,   Datuk Rohani Abdul Karim  — Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry;  Noriah Kasnon — Women, Family and Community Development;  Datuk Chor Chee Heung, Senator Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh  —  Home;    Datuk Seri Abdul Ghapur Salleh — Natural Resources and Environment;  Datuk Jacob Dungau Sagan, Datuk Liew Vui Keong  — International Trade and Industry;   Teng Boon Soon — Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage; Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong, Datuk Razali Ismail — Education;  Jelaing Mersat — Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs;  Fadillah Yusof — Science, Technology and Innovation; Datuk Tan Lian Hoe  — Information; Datuk Idris Haron,  Dr Hou Kok Chung — Higher Education;  M Saravanan — FT;    Senator A Kohilan Pillay — Plantation Industries and Commodities;  Datuk Noraini Ahmad — Human Resources; Wee Jeck Seng — Youth and Sports;    Dato Sri  Sulaiman Abdul Rahman Abdul Taib — Tourism;  Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah — Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development; Senator Datuk Dr Mashitah Ibrahim, Datuk Mohd Johari Baharum, Datuk Hassan Malek and S K Devamany — PM’s Department.

Two  deputy  ministers  who were in the list announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on Tuesday — Datuk Seri Tengku Azlan Abu Bakar (Foreign) and Datuk Anifah Aman (Transport) — had declined their respective appointment.

The swearing-in ended with a prayer by Istana Negara religious officer Datuk Abdul Rahman Mohamad. — Bernama