Political observers and analysts said that the recently announced cabinet changes in Malaysia were made to fish for more votes from women and Muslims and were too minor to have any impact on the market. Members of the youth wing of the dominant party in the ruling coalition, United Malays National Organization (UMNO), were also disappointed with the changes to some extent and speculation the finance minister Daim Zainuddin would step down proved unfounded, they added.

The prime minister's office announced on Wednesday that two new faces were appointed as ministers, Abdul Hamid Zainal Abidin to overlook Islamic matters and Shahrizat Abdul Jalil to head the newly-created women affairs ministry. Two new deputy ministers were also appointed, M Kayveas, a politician who is seen as leading a certain section of the Indian community, and UMNO's working secretary Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor. The appointments also include a new parliamentary secretary, Zainuddin Maidin, one of the chief editors of Utusan Melayu, a Malay-language government newspaper. Bureau Report