2010 Bruneian cabinet reshuffle

Hassanal Bolkiah carried out the fourth reshuffle of his government on 29 May 2010, appointing the first female deputy minister and replacing three ministers. The announcement was delivered during a televised speech at 3:50 pm.^[1] The previous cabinet had been reshuffled in 2005 for a five-year term,^[2] followed by the next one in 2015.^[3]

Hassanal Bolkiah

The cabinet reshuffle had modifications implemented were a minor step toward better governance, even though many ministers kept their jobs and the sultan still served as finance, defence, and the prime ministership. The nation's first female cabinet member, Adina Othman, was appointed deputy minister of culture, youth and sports in the new administration.^[4] Four deputy ministers were sworn in as new cabinet ministers, and three existing ministers kept their current portfolios.^[5]

According to the sultan's televised speech, the cabinet reshuffle aimed to enhance efficiency, foster dynamic leadership, and align with national objectives. It was significant for the appointment of Brunei's first female attorney general and deputy minister, reflecting the sultan's commitment to gender inclusion. By combining experienced leaders with fresh talent, the reshuffle sought to drive economic growth and competitiveness.^[6] However, Jane's Intelligence suggested that the reshuffle was an effort to replace conservative ministers with a more corporate and technically experienced team.^[7] Despite ongoing concerns about restrictions on freedoms and gender discrimination, as noted in the U.S. Department of State's 2009 Human Rights Report, Brunei has made gradual progress in women's rights, including the removal of a policy requiring female civil servants to resign upon marriage and the appointment of high-profile women to leadership positions.^[8]

On 9 June 2010, members of the newly formed cabinet were sworn in for a five-year term during a ceremony at the palace.^[9] On 8 July, the sultan chaired the first cabinet meeting following the reshuffle, which was also held at the palace.^[10]

Cabinet-level changes

Colour key
Joined the Cabinet      Left the Cabinet

Minister[11]		Position before reshuffle	Result of reshuffle[12]
	Hazair Abdullah	Deputy Minister of Health	Became Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports
	Abu Bakar Apong	Minister of Communications	Became Minister of Education
	Abdullah Bakar	Minister of Development	Became Minister of Communications
	Mohammad Daud	Minister of Energy at the Prime Minister's Office	Left the government
	Suyoi Osman	Minister of Health	Became Minister of Development
	Badaruddin Othman	Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs	Became Minister of Home Affairs
	Pengiran Mohammad	Deputy Minister of Education	Became Minister of Religious Affairs
	Zain Serudin	Minister of Religious Affairs	Left the government
	Abdul Rahman Taib	Minister of Education	Left the government
	Yasmin Umar	Deputy Minister of Defence	Became Minister of Energy at the Prime Minister's Office
	Adanan Yusof	Minister of Home Affairs	Became Minister of Health

Junior ministerial changes

Colour key
Joined the Cabinet      Left the Cabinet

Minister[11]		Position before reshuffle	Result of reshuffle[12]
	Bahrin Abdullah	Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Finance	Became Deputy Minister of Finance
	Hamdillah Abdul Wahab	Deputy Minister of Industry and Primary Resources	Left the government
	Ali Apong	Permanent Secretary at the Prime Minister's Office	Became Deputy Minister of Development
	Dani Ibrahim	Deputy Minister of Home Affairs	Left the government
	Eusoff Agaki Ismail	Deputy Minister at the Prime Minister's Office	Left the government
	Yusoff Ismail	Member of the Public Service Commission	Became Deputy Minister of Education
	Abdul Wahab Juned	None	Became Deputy Minister at the Prime Minister's Office
	Halbi Mohammad Yussof	High Commissioner of Brunei to Malaysia	Became Deputy Minister of Home Affairs
	Adina Othman	Director of Community Development[a]	Became Deputy Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports
	Mustappa Sirat	Permanent Secretary I at the Ministry of Defence	Became Deputy Minister of Defence
	Pengiran Bahrom	Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Religious Affairs	Became Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs

Later changes

The sultan ordered the Brunei Economic Development Board (BEDB) and the Department of Economic Planning and Development to be placed under the Prime Minister's Office, appointing Ali Apong as deputy minister and chairman of BEDB, replacing Timothy Ong, effective 18 November 2010.^[13]

Colour key
Joined the Cabinet      Left the Cabinet

Minister		Position before reshuffle	Result of reshuffle	Effective from
	Ali Apong	Deputy Minister of Development	Became Deputy Minister at the Prime Minister's Office	18 November 2010

Notes

1. Non-ministerial position