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Abdul Karim speaking during a press conference before officiating the flagging-off ceremony for DayakDaily’s D’Drift 2026 at its office in TT3 on Feb 18. 2026.Advertisement
By Karen Bong
KUCHING, Feb 18: There has been no discussion thus far on any Sarawak Cabinet reshuffle following last year’s constitutional amendment allowing the appointment of up to four additional ministers.
Sarawak Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah stressed that the Cabinet’s current focus remains on carrying out the mandate entrusted to them.
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“At the moment, there’s no discussion as yet. We just do the responsibility and mandate that have been given to us. It will continue on,” he told a press conference before officiating the flagging-off ceremony for DayakDaily’s D’Drift 2026 today.
Abdul Karim said he expects the present Cabinet line-up to remain unchanged for the rest of the year, even if it turns out to be an election year.
“Personally, I see it will still go on this way for this year. But after the election, how the ministry is going to be will of course rest on the Premier (Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg),” he said.
Responding to a question on whether the amendment would affect the two ministries under his charge, he emphasised that the prerogative to determine Cabinet composition lies solely with the State’s leadership.
“I see the prerogative of who should be in the Cabinet and what ministry to be introduced or to be dropped rests on the CEO. The CEO here is the Premier. We leave everything to him and his wisdom and good vision,” he said.
He noted that decisions on whether ministries would be merged, separated or newly created would depend on the Premier’s assessment of evolving needs.
“The world is changing. A lot of things are new… things we didn’t hear about in the 60s and 70s. Now we talk about AI (artificial intelligence) and digitalisation. So it’s up to the Premier,” he added.
The ministries under his portfolio, including tourism, creative industry, performing arts, youth, sports, and entrepreneur development are, he said, closely connected to the people.
“When you are talking about culture, sports and performing arts, these are areas which are very close to the people. People are watching. That’s why we have to always be on our toes,” he said, adding that officers in his ministry often sacrifice weekends due to the nature of their work.
Abdul Karim also reflected on his own political future, saying he was uncertain whether he would be fielded as a candidate in the next State election.
“We never know. I’ve been around for so many years already. Grooming has got to be done,” he said, underscoring the importance of leadership succession.
On Nov 24 last year, the Sarawak Legislative Assembly passed the Constitution of the State of Sarawak (Amendment) Bill, 2025, allowing the appointment of not more than four additional members to the Sarawak Cabinet.
The amendment followed the increase in State constituencies from 82 to 99 under the Members of Sarawak Legislative Assembly (Composition of Members) Ordinance, 2025.
The move aims to strengthen the State’s executive machinery, enhance policy coordination and ensure ministerial portfolios are distributed more evenly, as the present Cabinet composition is no longer proportionate to Sarawak’s expanding governance structure.
Under the existing constitutional framework, the Sarawak Cabinet comprises the Premier and up to 10 ministers. With the amendment in place, the State may now appoint up to four additional ministers, paving the way for more focused governance and improved service delivery. — DayakDaily
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