# 2022 Bruneian cabinet reshuffle

Hassanal Bolkiah carried out the seventh reshuffle of his government on 7 June 2022, appointing the first female cabinet minister and replacing seven ministers. The announcement was delivered during a televised speech at 3:00 pm. The previous cabinet had been reshuffled in 2018 for a five-year term, the sultan unexpectedly introduced this significant change midway through 2022.
This cabinet reshuffle brought about several significant changes. Romaizah Mohd Salleh was appointed as minister of education, marking a historic milestone as the first female minister since the government's establishment in 1959. The sultan retained control of key portfolios, including foreign affairs, finance, defence, and the prime ministership. Crown Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah continued his role as senior minister in the PMO, while Abu Bakar Apong, the home affairs minister and the second-longest serving cabinet member after Isa Ibrahim, was replaced. Unlike the usual five-year term, all new appointments will serve four-year terms.
The sultan emphasised that the appointments represent a trust that must be honoured with unwavering loyalty and accountability as he announced the new lineup of ministers and deputy ministers. A local media analyst, speaking anonymously to Xinhua, suggested that the early cabinet reshuffle was aimed at injecting fresh energy and enthusiasm into the administrative system while maintaining stability in critical areas of both domestic and international affairs.
This was the first and only significant cabinet reshuffle carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brunei.

## Cabinet-level changes

| Minister | Position before reshuffle | Result of reshuffle |
| Abdul Mutalib | Minister of Transport and Infocommunications | Left the government |
| Juanda Abdul Rashid | None | Became Minister of Development |
| Ahmaddin Abdul Rahman | Deputy Minister of Finance | Became Minister of Home Affairs |
| Abu Bakar Apong | Minister of Home Affairs | Left the government |
| Ali Apong | Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism | Left the government |
| Suhaimi Gafar | Minister of Development | Left the government |
| Abdul Manaf Metussin | Deputy Minister of Finance and Economy | Became Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism |
| Pengiran Shamhary | Managing Director of Brunei Gas Carriers | Became Minister of Transport and Infocommunications |
| Aminuddin Ihsan | Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports | Left the government |
| Nazmi Mohamad | Permanent Secretary (Corporate Affairs and Public Administration) at the Prime Minister's Office | Became Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports |
| Halbi Mohammad Yussof | Minister of Defence II | Became Minister at the Prime Minister's Office |
| Romaizah Salleh | Deputy Minister of Education | Became Minister of Education |

## Junior ministerial changes

| Minister | Position before reshuffle | Result of reshuffle |
| Khairuddin Abdul Hamid | Permanent Secretary (Investment) at the Ministry of Finance and Economy | Became Deputy Minister of Finance and Economy |
| Abdul Razak Abdul Kadir | Commander of the Royal Brunei Land Force | Became Deputy Minister of Defence |
| Marzuke Mohsin | Deputy Minister of Development | Left the government |
| Pengiran Bahrom | Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs | Left the government |
| Pengiran Mohammad Tashim | Judge of the Syariah Appeal Court | Became Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs |
| Pengiran Zety Sufina | Permanent Secretary (Industry) at the Ministry of Finance and Economy | Became Deputy Minister of Finance and Economy |
| Sufian Sabtu | Permanent Secretary (Safety, Enforcement and Law) at the Prime Minister's Office | Became Deputy Minister at the Prime Minister's Office |
| Riza Yunos | Permanent Secretary (Media and Cabinet) at the Prime Minister's Office | Became Deputy Minister at the Prime Minister's Office |

## Later changes

Between the 2018 and 2022 cabinet reshuffles, several minor changes were introduced. The first occurred on 26 February 2023, when the sultan immediately terminated Abdul Razak Abdul Kadir's appointment as deputy minister of defence and director of the Ministry of Defence's Department of Planning and Strategy. From 27 February, the deputy minister of defence position was abolished, and Halbi bin Mohammad Yussof, the minister in the PMO, was appointed acting minister of defence II. Later that year, on 23 October, the sultan ordered the termination of Matsatejo Sokiaw's appointment as deputy minister (energy) at the PMO. From 24 October, Farida Talib was appointed permanent secretary (energy) at the PMO, while Azmi Hanifah succeeded Sokiaw as deputy minister (energy).
| Minister | Position before reshuffle | Result of reshuffle | Effective from |
| Abdul Razak Abdul Kadir | Deputy Minister of Defence | Left the government | 26 February 2023 |
| Halbi Mohammad Yussof | Minister at the Prime Minister's Office | Became Minister at the Prime Minister's Office and Minister of Defence II | 27 February 2023 |
| Matsatejo Sokiaw | Deputy Minister (Energy) at the Prime Minister's Office | Left the government | 24 October 2023 |
| Azmi Hanifah | Deputy Managing Director and Commercial Director of Brunei Shell Petroleum | Became Deputy Minister (Energy) at the Prime Minister's Office | 24 October 2023 |