Zafrul skips first Cabinet meeting chaired by Anwar

International Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz was a no-show at today's special Cabinet meeting as he was abroad, MalaysiaNow understands. 

A source said this resulted in Zafrul attending the symbolic ceremony of clocking in for the first time as a minister at the international trade and industry ministry on Saturday instead. 

An official from the ministry confirmed the matter to MalaysiaNow. 

"The minister (Zafrul) clocked in on Saturday after the swearing-in ceremony," the official said on condition of anonymity. 

"He was also unable to attend the first Cabinet meeting today." 

Zafrul, a former banker, was sworn in as a senator on Saturday after being named as the international trade and industry minister in Anwar Ibrahim's Cabinet. 

He was first appointed to the Cabinet as the finance minister in Muhyiddin Yassin's government, a position he retained when Ismail Sabri Yaakob took over following Muhyiddin's resignation. 

He contested to become an MP for the first time in the recent general election but lost the Kuala Selangor seat to its incumbent, Dzulkefly Ahmad.

Nevertheless, he was appointed to Anwar's Cabinet while Dzulkefly, who was the health minister in the previous Pakatan Harapan administration, was not. 

Dzulkefly initially said that he would not contest the Nov 19 election but was asked by PH to defend the seat after Barisan Nasional named Zafrul as its candidate. 

During his GE15 campaign tour in Selangor, Anwar, the PH chairman, had said that he would not appoint Zafrul as a member of his Cabinet. 

However, the prime minister announced Zafrul as the international trade and industry minister on Dec 2.