Malaysia's Second Finance Minister Amir Hamzah to take over Economy Minister's duties after Rafizi resignation

CNA

20 hours ago

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia's Second Finance Minister Amir Hamzah Azizan will take on the duties and functions of the Economy Minister, a month after Rafizi Ramli resigned from the position following his defeat in a party election.
The Cabinet made the decision in a meeting on Wednesday (Jun 25), said its secretary Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar in a statement on Friday.
Amir Hamzah's 'primary responsibility' is to review and restructure the contents of the 13th Malaysia Plan, which is scheduled to be tabled in Parliament on Jul 31, said Shamsul Azri, who is also chief secretary to the government.
Amir Hamzah will take into account additional information submitted by other ministries, as well as the sentiments of the Cabinet, he said.
The 13th Malaysia Plan is a roadmap to tackle global shifts and domestic challenges and is set to be implemented from 2026 to 2030.
Responding on Friday to Shamsul Azri's statement, former Economy Minister Rafizi said the last-minute decision to restructure the plan has raised concern among civil servants, market analysts monitoring national policy and the public.
He questioned if the restructuring would be rushed and whether it would bypass the consultative process with stakeholders and experts, news outlet Malay Mail reported.
He said politicising the plan would be 'a grave injustice to (civil servants) who have worked tirelessly — often for over 12 hours a day — over the past year'.
Rafizi had said when he resigned on May 28 that the plan had been completed. It emphasises "comprehensive educational reforms, including several structural changes involving the Ministry of Education", Rafizi had said.
"I hope the Cabinet will maintain some of the bold reforms related to the Ministry of Education in (the plan), even though I will no longer be part of the Cabinet."
Rafizi stepped down after he lost the post of deputy president in his political party, Parti Keadilan Rakyat, to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's daughter Nurul Izzah Anwar on May 23. He remains with the PKR and as Member of Parliament for Pandan.
Rafizi's ally, Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, resigned on the same day as him but his replacement has not been announced.
Amir Hamzah, who was appointed Second Finance Minister in December 2023, thanked Anwar in a statement and said he had received feedback from fellow ministers indicating the need to revise the 13th Malaysia Plan to better reflect the aims of the government and sustain the momentum of economic reforms.
Amir Hamzah is a member of the Senate, which comprises senators chosen for excellence in their respective professions and who represent minorities in society. He was appointed by Malaysia's King.
He was previously chief executive of the country's Employees Provident Fund, one of the world's largest pension funds.