Kuala Lumpur - Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak's new cabinet of 28 ministers and 40 deputy ministers was sworn in Friday before Malaysia's king at the royal palace. The new cabinet is slightly smaller than the previous 31 ministers under Najib's predecessor Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and consists of many first timers.

Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who was also appointed as the education minister, led the newly appointed ministers and deputy ministers in taking their oaths of office before King Mizan Zainal Abidin, the official Bernama news agency reported.

In announcing the new lineup, Najib, 56, who took office April 3 pledged to carry out wide-ranging administrative and social reforms that Abdullah had also promised but largely failed to carry out.

The ruling National Front coalition is suffering from its worst public approval ratings in decades as proven by its humiliating losses in last year's general elections.

The front lost its two-thirds majority in Parliament and an unprecedented five out of 13 states to the opposition. (dpa)