Rafizi takes a swipe at education ministry, defends early resignation
Rafizi Ramli said he felt it was better to resign than be a 'lame duck' minister after his party election loss, as he had lost the support of the prime minister.
PETALING JAYA : Former economy minister Rafizi Ramli has taken a swipe at the education ministry after coming under criticism for his early resignation from the Cabinet, saying he refused to become a 'lame duck' minister or a 'yes man' after being defeated as PKR deputy president.
He said he had resigned because it was clear he had lost the prime minister's confidence, making it impossible to carry out reforms effectively.
In the debut episode of his Yang Berhenti Menteri podcast, Rafizi defended his work as a minister, saying 'about 80% of what I planned was approved by the Cabinet. These are all done'.
Referring to criticism of his resignation, he said: 'I get annoyed sometimes. The economy ministry gets all the questions. Go ask the education ministry — it's been two and a half years. Where's the major policy framework? Nothing.
'But they're busy talking about someone who resigned.'
Rafizi said he had completed most of his key initiatives during his tenure, including the 13th Malaysia Plan, energy transition, labour market reforms, progressive wage policy, fiscal reforms, targeted subsidies, and digital government initiatives.
Better to resign than be ineffective
Rafizi, who lost to Nurul Izzah Anwar for the deputy PKR president's post last month, said it was better to resign than become a 'lame duck' minister.
Rafizi said he stepped down not because he was throwing a fit, but because it was clear he had lost the prime minister's confidence, making it impossible to carry out reforms effectively.
He said staying on would have meant either becoming a powerless figurehead or facing constant rejection of his policies.
'When Nurul Izzah contested against me, it was clear she had Anwar's blessing. That sends a signal to the civil service that I no longer have the prime minister's support,' he said. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is the PKR president and Nurul Izzah's father.
'If the prime minister no longer believes in your leadership, it's better to step down. If I had stayed on, I would have been a lame duck minister. If I tried to continue working effectively, I would have dragged the ministry down.'
'Unless I was willing to just clock in and out every day, but that's not who I am.'
Rafizi said politics was about the responsible distribution of resources and values, and doing it efficiently and ethically. 'I get the most satisfaction from making real change, not from holding office without the ability to act.'
Not a team player?
Responding to criticism that he wasn't a team player during his time in the Cabinet, Rafizi pointed to his track record in Petronas and his work in leading thousands of volunteers to help PKR win over 40 seats in the 2018 general election
He argued that being a team player doesn't mean saying 'yes' to everything. 'A good leader surrounds themselves with people who have the courage to disagree and who work based on competence and integrity — not just 'yes men'.'
Rafizi also dismissed speculation that he plans to start a new political party, stating that it would only lead to instability within the country. However, he acknowledged that many long-time PKR supporters were disillusioned, adding that he plans to work closely with them.
'We don't need new drama. We need to focus on what matters,' he said.
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