Normal Change Of Treasury Head Says Anwar

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Treasury secretary-general Asri Hamidin was not seen when Treasury staff welcomed Anwar Ibrahim as he assumed duties as finance minister.PUTRAJAYA: The secretary-general to the Treasury is being replaced in what Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim described today as “a usual matter”.
He said the replacement of secretary-general Asri Hamidin was not like what was reported by the media, Bernama reported.
“It’s just a normal replacement, which also involves a promotion or change in department and affairs,” said Anwar, who is finance minister and political head of the Treasury. The secretary-general of the Treasury is the civil service head of the finance ministry.
It was previously reported that Asri, 56, who was appointed in 2020, had been placed on leave as he was not seen at the welcoming ceremony when Anwar assumed duties as finance minister on Dec 6.
At a previous media conference Anwar had mentioned a discussion about the position of national financial adviser and the appointment of a new Treasury secretary-general.
Anwar said changes to the civil service would be led by the chief secretary to the government (Zuki Ali). The chief secretary is the professional head of the civil service.
Anwar said existing legal provisions gave the chief secretary the authority to handle the matter of secretaries-general and other senior officials from ministries that have been combined in his government.
Four ministries have been combined into two and one portfolio has been abolished. The federal territories ministry and the rural development ministry have been combined to become the rural and regional development ministry. The environment and water ministry has been combined with the energy and natural resources ministry to be the natural resources, environment and climate change ministry.
The post of minister with special functions in the Prime Minister’s Department was abolished. - FMT

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