| First Mahathir cabinet | |
|---|---|
|
9th cabinet of Malaysia |
|
| People and organisations | |
| Head of state | Tuanku Ahmad Shah |
| Head of government | Mahathir Mohamad |
| Deputy head of government | Musa Hitam |
| Member parties | |
| Status in legislature | UMNO led coalition majority government |
| Opposition parties |
Democratic Action Party Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party Sarawak People's Organization |
| Opposition leader | Lim Kit Siang |
| History | |
| Election(s) | Malaysian general election, 1978 |
| Outgoing election | Malaysian general election, 1982 |
| Legislature term(s) | 5th Malaysian Parliament |
| Budget(s) | 1982 |
| Incoming formation | Mahathir I Cabinet formation, 1981 |
| Outgoing formation | Mahathir II Cabinet formation, 1982 |
| Predecessor | Second Hussein cabinet |
| Successor | Second Mahathir cabinet |
Mahathir Mohamad, the fourth Prime Minister of Malaysia, formed the first Mahathir cabinet in 1981 after being invited by Tuanku Ahmad Shah to form a new government following the resignation of the previous Prime Minister, Hussein Onn. Hussein had presided over the second Hussein cabinet, a coalition government that consisted of members of the component parties of Barisan Nasional.
The federal cabinet consisted of the following ministers: