First Mahathir cabinet
, 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.
Composition
Full members
The federal cabinet consisted of the following ministers:| Portfolio | Office Bearer | Party | Constituency | Term Start | Term End |
| Prime Minister | Mahathir Mohamad MP | UMNO | Kubang Pasu | - | - |
| Minister of Defence | Mahathir Mohamad MP | UMNO | Kubang Pasu | - | - |
| Deputy Prime Minister | Musa Hitam MP | UMNO | Labis | - | - |
| Minister of Home Affairs | Musa Hitam MP | UMNO | Labis | - | - |
| Minister of Transport | Lee San Choon MP | MCA | Segamat | - | - |
| Minister of Science, Technology and Environment | Ong Kee Hui MP | SUPP | Bandar Kuching | - | - |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | Ghazali Shafie MP | UMNO | Lipis | - | - |
| Minister of General Welfare | Aishah Ghani MP | UMNO | Kuala Langat | - | - |
| Minister of Commerce and Industry | Tengku Ahmad Rithauddeen Tengku Ismail MP | UMNO | Kota Bharu | - | - |
| Minister of Finance | Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah MP | UMNO | Ulu Kelantan | - | - |
| Minister of Health | Chong Hon Nyan MP | MCA | Batu Berendam | - | - |
| Minister of Lands and Regional Development | Shariff Ahmad MP | UMNO | Jerantut | - | - |
| Minister of Information | Mohamed Rahmat MP | UMNO | Pulai | - | - |
| Minister of Labour and Manpower | Richard Ho Ung Hun MP | MCA | Lumut | - | - |
| Minister of Primary Industries | Paul Leong Khee Seong MP | GERAKAN | Taiping | - | - |
| Minister of Agriculture | Abdul Manan Othman MP | UMNO | Kuala Trengganu | - | - |
| Minister of Energy, Telecommunications and Posts | Leo Moggie Irok MP | SNAP | Kanowit | - | - |
| Minister of Housing and Local Government | Neo Yee Pan MP | MCA | Muar | - | - |
| Minister of Works and Public Amenities | Samy Vellu MP | MIC | Sungei Siput | - | - |
| Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports | Mokhtar Hashim MP | UMNO | Tampin | - | - |
| Minister of Public Enterprises | Rafidah Aziz MP | UMNO | Selayang | - | - |
| Minister of Education | Sulaiman Daud MP | PBB | Santubong | - | - |
| Minister of Federal Territories | Pengiran Othman Pengiran Rauf MP | USNO | Kimanis | - | - |
| Minister of National and Rural Development | Sanusi Junid MP | UMNO | Jerlun-Langkawi | - | - |
| Minister without Portfolio | Abdullah Ahmad Badawi MP | UMNO | Kepala Batas | - | - |
| Minister without Portfolio | Senator Mohamed Nasir | BERJASA | - | - |