By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, May 28: Economy Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Rafizi Ramli has officially announced his resignation from the Federal Cabinet, effective June 17, 2025, following his defeat in the recent Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) internal elections.
In a media statement issued today, Rafizi said he has submitted his resignation letter to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and will begin his remaining annual leave from today until June 16.
“I entered politics to champion a new political culture rooted in accountability and the people’s mandate.
“My loss in the PKR election means I no longer hold the mandate from my party to translate the rakyat’s agenda into government policies,” he said.
Rafizi stressed that in democracies that uphold strong principles, it is a norm for leaders who lose party elections to make way for newly elected leaders to serve in the government.
Expressing his gratitude to the leadership and staff of the Ministry of Economy, Rafizi praised their professionalism and capability in formulating effective policies and programmes.
“I am confident that the initiatives introduced to strengthen the country’s economic structure will continue to be implemented successfully by the ministry’s civil servants,” he added.
Rafizi also noted that his final responsibility as Economy Minister was to complete the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP), which is now finalised and awaiting presentation in the next Parliament session.
“The 13MP focuses heavily on comprehensive education reform, including structural changes involving the Ministry of Education. I hope the Cabinet will retain the bold reforms proposed in 13MP, even though I will no longer be part of it,” he said.
In his parting message, Rafizi thanked Malaysians, civil servants, private sector players, the media and all stakeholders he had worked with during his tenure as minister.
“Our journey to transform the economy and reach high-income nation status is still far from over. We must continue to make tough, long-term decisions for the sake of future generations,” he concluded.
During the PKR election last Friday (May 23), Rafizi lost his deputy president post to Nurul Izzah Anwar, who garnered 9,803 votes while Rafizi only received 3,866 votes.
Prior to the PKR polls, Rafizi had said he would quit as Economy Minister and go back to being a regular Member of Parliament if he failed to be re-elected to PKR’s No 2 post. — DayakDaily
