Rafizi feels the heat on reshuffle day - at an IPR farm

It was a hot day for Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli today as the cabinet reshuffle took place.

However, the minister said the heat he was feeling had nothing to do with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's announcement.

“Today's hottest news was the cabinet reshuffle.

“I was also feeling hot all day, but it was because I was with IPR Intan participants in Tanjung Rambutan, Perak,” he posted on Facebook.

IPR Intan is the agriculture branch of the People's Income Initiative (IPR) which aims to help the hardcore poor generate at least RM2,000 per month and become self-sustaining.

Rafizi said that under Intan, his ministry identifies unutilised government land that can be opened for farming by the public.

In the Tanjung Rambutan programme, Rafizi said the farm was opened on unused land near Hospital Bahagia.

One of the other IPR branches, Ikhwan, helps entrepreneurs sell ready-to-eat meals, including via vending machines.

Unfazed by critics

Rafizi was one of several ministers who were untouched by today's cabinet reshuffle exercise.

In a separate Facebook post this afternoon, the economic minister said he had spent his first year in office focusing on policy matters such as reforming the social aid system and creating a better database so that aid can be better targeted.

He said he had done this at the cost of ignoring attacks against him from the opposition, whom he accused of fooling the people by playing up racial sentiments, rejecting facts, and misdirecting the people's focus from the truth.

He also said that their goal was to ensure the public continues to complain and reject the facts before them.

“Before this, I did not pay too much attention to answering (critics) because I spent all my time ensuring important policies were done to improve the country's economic structure.

“Starting now, I will focus on improving my ministry's communication and the government's as a whole, including responding to stupidity.

“Part of the way is to show the stupidity of the opposition's arguments,” he said.

PJ challenges include aging population, urban poverty, says MP

COMMENT | Rafizi, don't kill minimum wage policy

Progressive wage: Company, staff must show proof of commitment

Rafizi details progressive wage plan for those earning under RM5k

Analysts never predicted Anwar would become PM - Rafizi

Rafizi: PKR's own survey shows 'status quo' support for PM