By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, May 28: Malaysian Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES) Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad has announced his resignation from the Cabinet, citing his failure to defend his party post in the recent Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) election as the main reason.
His resignation, effective July 4, 2025, makes him the second federal minister to step down after Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli, who resigned as Economy Minister earlier today.
Nik Nazmi said he had submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and will be on leave starting tomorrow (May 29) until his last day in office.
“I recognise that my-then position as PKR vice president was a key consideration in my Cabinet appointment.
“As I have failed to defend my party post during its recent election, I have decided to resign as a Minister,” he said in a statement issued today.
Nik Nazmi, who served in Cabinet since December 2022, first held the portfolio of Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change before it was restructured as NRES in December 2023.
Throughout his tenure, he spearheaded several major policy reforms, including the amendment of the Environmental Quality Act 1974, greater transparency in Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reports, and the introduction of a Tariff Setting Mechanism in the water sector.
He also oversaw Malaysia’s early submission of its National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plan (NBSAP), earning praise from United Nations’ secretary-general António Guterres for significantly reducing deforestation.
In the energy sector, his ministry implemented targeted subsidies under the Imbalance Cost Pass-Through (ICPT) mechanism and successfully pushed through the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act.
Nik Nazmi noted that the National Climate Change Bill (RUUPIN), which began from scratch during his administration, is now nearing the tabling stage in Cabinet and Parliament.
Thanking civil servants, his office staff and all stakeholders across sectors, he said: “We tried our best to take an open, consultative approach with all in introducing laws and designing policies.”
Looking ahead, the Setiawangsa Member of Parliament (MP) said he plans to return to the backbenches of Parliament and refocus on constituency work.
During PKR election last Friday (May 23), Nik Nazmi lost his PKR vice presidency post to Deputy Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Datuk R Ramanan. – DayakDaily
