Economy Ministry officer quits to contest in PKR leadership polls

Summary

• Najib Bakar has resigned as an officer at the Economy Ministry to contest in the PKR election.

• He appeals to the delegates to give him a chance.

• Najib wants to bridge the gap between govt and party using his experience working as a civil servant.

An officer of the Economy Ministry has quit his post so he can contest in the PKR central leadership election.

Aiming to make a change, Najib Bakar appealed to the delegates to give him a chance and support him as a candidate for the 2025-2028 session.

“Why did I offer myself? I see a communication gap between the government and the party, where the grassroots leadership don’t know and understand the various efforts, policies, and initiatives that the government has put in place.

“How can grassroots members who interact with the people daily be expected to be good communication agents and conveyors of information if they themselves don’t understand?” he asked in a Facebook statement today.

Therefore, he said he would like to bridge the gap with a clear source of power, playing a role in connecting the government machinery, party members and activists, regardless of faction or camp.

“With this cross-agency relationship that I have built over the year and a half working as a contract civil servant at the Economy Ministry, God willing, I’m confident that I will be able to shoulder this responsibility,” he added.

Going against big names

Najib clarified that even on contract, civil servants are still subject to the circular that senior management group officers cannot contest political party positions.

“Hence, as I announced my candidacy, I will also resign from my post in the Economy Ministry,” said the former deputy chief of PKR’s Titiwangsa branch.

However, he acknowledged the odds may be against him as his competition are big names, including ministers and deputy ministers.

“On paper, my chances of winning may be small compared to the other candidates who are all great.

“But that doesn’t mean I should ‘throw in the towel’. As an underdog, I will work hard,” he said.

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