Ministers resigning odd to those who never lost power: PKR Youth chief

Summary

• Rafizi Ramli and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad’s resignation as ministers may seem strange to those who have never lost power, but this is consistent with PKR’s role in pioneering new political culture, says the party’s new Youth chief Kamil Abdul Munim.

• Kamil says PKR leaders do not see power as the be-all and end-all.

• He also expresses confidence in PKR president Anwar Ibrahim’s abilities to manage the development.

The resignations of Rafizi Ramli and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad as ministers may seem strange to those who have never experienced the loss of power.

However, newly minted PKR Youth chief Kamil Abdul Munim said it establishes PKR as a party that consistently builds new political traditions and culture as a manifestation of the party’s capability.

“PKR is pioneering such a political culture. To me, this is not something odd. It only seems odd to those who have never experienced losing power - it feels strange to them…

“... Perhaps for those who are critical - this is not a common practice in their political culture,” he said during an interview with Malaysiakini in Petaling Jaya yesterday.

“Our leaders do not see power as the be-all and end-all. They uphold principles, a sense of responsibility, and strong political will not to rely solely on holding office,” he added.

‘Look at South Korea, Japan’

Kamil, who is also Finance Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s political secretary, expressed his belief that politicians should not merely sit in a position of power and make decisions, but also perform other duties such as educating the public on politics.

He pointed to countries like South Korea or Japan, where train delays could see the relevant minister resigning in responsibility.

This happens even if the train delay was not the minister’s fault, he added.

Rafizi tendered his resignation as the economy minister on Wednesday.

Hours later, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad resigned as the natural resources and environmental sustainability minister.

This came after their defeat at the recent PKR polls, which saw Rafizi losing the deputy presidency and Nik Nazmi being bumped off the vice-presidents quartet.

This occurred despite Anwar, who is the PKR president, saying before the polls that he would not reshuffle the cabinet based on who won or lost.

‘Anwar can manage this’

Commenting further, Kamil, who won his post as the youth wing chief uncontested, said Rafizi’s move represents a political culture that needs to be cultivated.

He also dismissed concerns that the incident was worrying or alarming.

“I’m confident that the abilities and strengths possessed by Rafizi, Nik Nazmi, and others can be utilised effectively to continue driving and strengthening our party machinery ahead of the upcoming elections,” he said.

He further added that Anwar has the wisdom and capability to manage this development.

“As I mentioned earlier, this is not something unusual for PKR. We’ve faced many crises, both internal and external politics.

“If we continue to hold firmly to our principles, ideals, and our focus on government and national management, if we understand our respective roles and responsibilities, then I believe this matter can be resolved and managed well,” Kamil added.

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