KUALA LUMPUR: International Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz has been appointed as a member of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) Supreme Council on Thursday (Feb 17).
In a Facebook post, Tengku Zafrul said: “Tonight, I have taken an oath as an UMNO Supreme Council member, as witnessed by the top leadership who are also my close comrades.
“I would like to express my highest appreciation to Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, (who is the) UMNO President and the Deputy Prime Minister, as well as the entire leadership for the trust given through this appointment.
“I will always uphold the party’s struggle for religion, nation and homeland, God willing.”
The news was first publicly announced by UMNO secretary-general Ahmad Maslan in a tweet congratulating Tengku Zafrul on his appointment which took place at the UMNO headquarters in Menara Dato’ Onn.
“The UMNO Supreme Council meeting … started with senator Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz taking his oath as a UMNO Supreme Council member, appointed by the UMNO president (Ahmad Zahid Hamidi),” Mr Ahmad tweeted on Thursday.
Tengku Zafrul was previously the CIMB group chief executive officer before being appointed Minister of Finance in March 2020 by then prime-minister Muhyiddin Yassin after being made a senator. He then served in the same capacity under the administration of Mr Ismail Sabri.
Tengku Zafrul then contested in the 15th General Elections in November last year on a Barisan Nasional ticket. He ran for the Kuala Selangor seat but lost by 1,002 votes to Pakatan Harapan’s Dzulkefly Ahmad.
He was then reappointed as senator and currently serves as International Trade and Industry Minister under Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Tengku Zafrul is the only minister in the Cabinet who has served three different prime ministers.