Rafidah Aziz was one of Malaysia’s longest-serving cabinet ministers, whose tough character earned her the nickname ‘Malaysia’s Iron Lady’.

However, the current state of affairs in the nation could be moving the 71-year-old former Wanita Umno chief to tears.

In a Facebook post, Rafidah warned that resorting to shortcuts reflected a willingness to sacrifice integrity and lack of principles.

She said when one chose not to take the right road, or make the right decisions which would lead to the right outcomes, then there would be costs and consequences.

“Am I imagining things...Or am I really hearing the collective sigh of the rakyat on what’s happening in Malaysia, and to Malaysia, now?

“Some friends tell me they don’t know whether to laugh or to cry... Maybe we need to do both for our sanity,” she wrote.

Following the Cabinet reshuffle on Tuesday , Rafidah, in another Facebook post, reminded the ministers of their collective responsibility to uphold public trust.

“Do not do anything anymore to hurt this country of ours; no washing your hands off things when they don’t look good; you all, together and collectively, must uphold public trust.

“You are all collectively responsible; talk and act responsibly, remember that it is a collective accountability, get the problems sorted out… together… as a credible and trustworthy team,” she said.