Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced his first Cabinet line-up on March 9, after days of speculation following his ascension to the top post in Malaysia.

While the previous prime minister, Mahathir Mohamad, had to deal with four disparate parties in his Pakatan Harapan coalition, the new Perikatan Nasional is made up of several different parties, each with its own claims for a cabinet post.

Perhaps this is why Muhyiddin's Cabinet is noticeably larger than Mahathir's first 2018 Cabinet, more than twice the size, with 32 ministers (including the PM himself) as compared to Mahathir's 14.

However, Mahathir brought in more ministers later for a total of 28, but still fewer than Muhyiddin.

With every move in Putrajaya, there are those who benefited more than others.

So who gained the most in this latest shuffle?

Those who went up

1. Azmin Ali (Bersatu)

The man who played a key role in the change of government, the exodus of Azmin Ali and some of his fellow MPs from Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), set the seal on the demise of the Pakatan Harapan, and provided Perikatan Nasional with the numbers necessary for a majority in parliament.

Previously serving as Economic Affairs Minister under Mahathir, which was a new role created by the former PM, Azmin will also now serve in a newly-created position.

As Malaysia's International Trade and Industry Minister, but also Senior Minister in charge of the Economy, Azmin has clearly gone a step up.

His roles, at least in name, are similar to those of Singapore's Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing, and Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam's previous role as Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies.

1) Senior Minister - Minister of International Trade and Industry: YB Dato' Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali pic.twitter.com/i6F4uCFrPa

— SAYS (@saysdotcom) March 9, 2020

2. Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man (PAS)

The deputy president of the Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), Tuan Ibrahim has never before held a position in government.

However, he is now a full Cabinet minister in charge of the environment.

According to Free Malaysia Today, the last time that a PAS member was in the federal government was in 1977, and the party has been in opposition ever since.

Despite not being on the winning side in the previous general election, PAS now have three Cabinet ministers serving under Muhyiddin.

3. Khairy Jamaluddin (UMNO)

A prominent UMNO minister, Khairy's ascent was cut short when the Barisan Nasional (BN) lost the general election in 2018.

However, Khairy managed to hang on to his parliamentary seat, even if he lost his position as Minister of Youth and Sports.

With UMNO back in the federal government, Khairy managed to secure another Cabinet position as the Science, Technology and Innovation Minister, arguably more prestigious than his previous job.

Those who lost out

1. Saifuddin Abdullah (Bersatu)

Formerly PKR and now a member of Bersatu just like Azmin, Saifuddin was a surprise inclusion in the list of Azmin's group.

Having served as foreign minister under Mahathir, Saifuddin was given the post of Communication and Multimedia Minister, arguably a step down.

TERKINI | Menteri Komunikasi dan Multimedia

Menteri : Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah

Timbalan : Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin pic.twitter.com/L2OJ0zyoKv

— Buletin TV3 (@BuletinTV3) March 9, 2020

2. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (UMNO)

The leader of UMNO after Najib Razak stepped down, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, served as Deputy Prime Minister in the previous BN government.

Although UMNO's support is crucial for keeping Muhyiddin in power, Ahmad Zahid was not given a Cabinet position.

However, on March 7, Ahmad Zahid had stated that he was not offering himself as a candidate for Muhyiddin's Cabinet, according to The Star Online.

3. Bersatu MPs aligned with Mahathir

Mahathir furnished a list of six Bersatu MPs who supported him as prime minister over Muhyiddin.

These included his son Mukhriz, former Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq, and former Education Minister Maszlee Malik.

Despite ostensibly remaining in the party that is still part of the ruling coalition, none of them have been offered Cabinet-level positions.

The lone exception is Eddin Syazlee Shith, who was on Mahathir's list, but was given the job of Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department for Law.

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Top image from Azmin Ali's Facebook page.