SHAH ALAM – Economy Minister Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli announced that Friday marked his final day entering the office to wrap up affairs and pack up, seemingly signalling that his decision to resign is final.
He said he also took the opportunity to express gratitude to five officers who had helped him develop economic initiatives under the Economy Ministry.
All five, he said, were policy officers whom he had personally convinced to leave their previous careers to contribute their services and expertise to his office.
“I went to the office for the last time yesterday and today (Friday) to complete final tasks, including packing up.
“From chillies to semiconductors, to the startup ecosystem, the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JSSEZ), the National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR), the progressive wage policy, all the way to the 13th Malaysia Plan (RMK13), they helped translate my ideas into implementable plans. Now, they will return to their respective fields,” he said in a Facebook post on Friday.
Previously, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had said he was still giving time to the two ministers who had resigned to reconsider their decisions before officially leaving the Cabinet.
The Prime Minister expressed that he would prefer if both Rafizi and Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad rejoined his Cabinet. “...let them think about it... If possible, I would like them to rejoin (the Cabinet),” he said.
Rafizi also listed the five officers who had greatly guided him throughout his duties.
“I learned a lot from them, perhaps more than they learned from me. My thanks go to endocrinology specialist and University of Cambridge graduate Dr Azraai Bahari Nasruddin, who also holds an additional degree in Informatics from UCL. First-class honours. He worked in the UK for many years before returning to Malaysia in 2014.
“Next, Benjamin Quek, a graduate in banking and finance from Monash University with an MSc in Applied and Computational Mathematics from Johns Hopkins University. Formerly a fund manager. Also, James Chai, best law student from the University of London and Master of Law from the University of Oxford, with first-class honours. He previously worked in the legal and tech sectors and is also a book author.
“Ismat Qayyum, a first-class graduate in Politics, Philosophy and Economics (PPE) from the London School of Economics (LSE), previously worked in the banking sector. And Haqimi Zamri, who holds a degree in Politics and International Relations from the University of Nottingham. He had run a social enterprise from a young age,” he added.