PETALING JAYA: A day after the Asean summit concluded, Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli has made good on his promise to quit as Economy Minister.
Another person aligned with Rafizi in the party elections, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, has also resigned.
Both tendered their resignation from the Cabinet to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Rafizi announced his departure as Economy Minister at 1.45pm yesterday and just over two hours later, Nik Nazmi said he was leaving as Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister.
Last week, during the PKR polls, Rafizi lost his party deputy presidency to Anwar’s daughter Nurul Izzah while Nik Nazmi finished fifth among 11 candidates in the vice-presidency race. There were only four positions for vice-president being contested.
Rafizi said his resignation will take effect from June 17 and he will be on leave until June 16.
“My recent defeat in the PKR polls means I no longer have the mandate from my party to translate the people’s agenda, as envisioned by PKR, into government programmes.
“As practised in countries that prioritise democratic principles, leaders who lose in party elections must make way for those who have won,” said Rafizi.
“I am confident that the programmes to improve the country’s economic structure, pioneered by the (Economy) Ministry, will continue to be successfully implemented.
“My final duty as the Economy Minister has been completed with the preparation of the 13th Malaysia Plan (RMK13), which has been finalised and is awaiting presentation at the next Parliamentary session,” he added.
On May 7, Rafizi had said he would step down from his Cabinet post if he lost in the polls.
Nik Nazmi, meanwhile, said his resignation will take effect from July 4. He is on leave until July 3.
Echoing Rafizi’s sentiments, Nik Nazmi said he was appointed as a minister when he was a PKR vice-president. Since he lost his post, he decided to resign.
“I am waiting to return to serve as an MP and focus on my area in Setiawangsa.
“To quote the late Britain MP Tony Benn: ‘I left the Cabinet to focus more on politics and public service’,” said Nik Nazmi.
Nik Nazmi was appointed as the Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Minister in December 2022, and the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister in Dec 2023.
He said he had done his best to carry out necessary reforms within the civil service.
“The successes include amendments to the Environment Qualities Act 1974, as well as improvements in transparency in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).
“Malaysia is also among the countries that tabled the National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plan (NBSAP) to curb environmental destruction and deforestation,” he said.
