Nik Nazmi’s resignation signals shift within PKR ahead of GE16
The resignation also reflected an internal rhythm within PKR that followed every leadership contest.
SHAH ALAM – Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad’s resignation as Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister marks a pivotal moment for PKR and the wider coalition, presenting both a challenge and an opportunity for PKR and the broader coalition as they prepare for the upcoming 16th General Election (GE16).
O2 Research Malaysia (O2) chief researcher Anis Anwar Suhaimi said reform was not always centralised in one minister but rather the whole Cabinet system, in its collective responsibility to bring forward a clear policy direction and momentum, be it through the sacking or resignation of a single minister.
"They come from the Prime Minister’s Office as much as from any individual portfolio. When a new minister takes over, the broad strokes of the reform agenda will remain intact, but we should expect shifts in emphasis and style at the micro level, which makes shifts like the exchange of a minister important," he said.
He added that changes could be observed in day-to-day priorities, the speed of implementation of policies and the tone of stakeholder engagement that reflected a minister’s personal stamp.
He said Nik Nazmi’s resignation will therefore pose a short-term challenge to the cohesion of the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry, but the larger architecture of reform under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s Madani vision should carry on without interruption.
The resignation, Anis said also reflected an internal rhythm within PKR that followed every leadership contest.
"Those who lose in party elections (in PKR) often step aside to give the winners full space to prove their merit.
"On one hand, that generosity can help the new team consolidate its authority. On the other hand, it deprives the coalition of experienced foot soldiers at a time when every vote and every campaign volunteer counts," he said when contacted.
He added that strategically, the board may already have sketched out its GE16 blueprint, but Nik Nazmi’s sudden exit would require a fresh layer of adjustment.
"Nurul Izzah Anwar and the new leadership must now step up more visibly," he said, adding that she needed to set her own track record and not live solely by her family name.
Anis said a successful demonstration of Nurul Izzah's capability will help dispel the old charge of nepotism and keep public trust intact.
Furthermore, he said PKR needed to focus on accelerating the pace of reform to minimise the impacts of losing a member from the ministerial line-up.
Unlike the first Pakatan Harapan government, which did not enjoy a full term, he said this administration has the rare advantage of a complete five-year mandate.
He added that it must seize that window decisively to roll out bolder policy measures and remedial programmes before voters go to the polls once again.
Commenting further, he said the successor in the Cabinet would not be difficult to find, with the field of potential candidates lying within PKR’s parliamentary ranks.
"One name that stood out was the Simpang Renggam MP, who has consistently championed environmental issues and climate policy, a natural fit for the Natural Resources and Environment portfolio," he said, stressing that position and seniority have always been a part of PKR’s ministerial quota.
Anis further commented that the Prime Minister would certainly weigh the views of the new deputy president and the line-up of vice-presidents before making any decisions and it would be up to his prerogative to balance experience, loyalty and thematic expertise.
He was also of the opinion that the decisions by Nik Nazmi and Economy Minister Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli to resign earlier today were meant as a form of protest.
"It sends a signal about their collective weight and the genuine gap their absence may create in PKR’s leadership and campaign machinery.
"Rather than a simple display of disloyalty, it is an insistence that their contribution must be counted if PKR is to enter the next election fully united and fully equipped," he said.
The resignations of both Rafizi and Nik Nazmi, today, followed their losses in the PKR internal elections and have raised speculation about dissatisfaction with the appointment of Nurul Izzah, the new PKR deputy president and daughter of Anwar who is the party president and Prime Minister.
Critics suggested possible nepotism influencing the party’s leadership changes, signaling notable shifts in PKR’s representation in the federal Cabinet.
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