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Economy Minister Rafizi seen at 46th Asean Summit

Economy Minister Rafizi seen at 46th Asean Summit

The Star27-05-2025
Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli — AZHAR MAHFOF/The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: Amid talk that he would resign from Cabinet after the PKR polls, Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli continues to carry out his official duties at the 46th Asean Summit and Related Summits.
The Economy Minister was seen attending the 16th Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) summit at the KL Convention Centre that began at 8am Tuesday (May 27).
Rafizi was seen at the summit, which was also attended by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.
Rafizi was also seen shaking hands with Anwar and other Asean delegates.
Mohamad was seen sitting next to Rafizi while Anwar was sitting just in front of them.
Other leaders present there were Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, and Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto.
The leaders then proceeded to take a group picture before the summit began and Anwar was seen standing next to Marcos and Prabowo, while Rafizi stood next to Asean secretary-general Dr Kao Kim Hourn.
Marcos then delivered his opening remarks at the summit before a closed-door session began.
The second day of the Asean Summit will see the second Asean-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit and the inaugural Asean-GCC-China Summit taking place.
Anwar is also expected to deliver an exit press conference after the 46th Asean Summit and Related Summits concludes on Tuesday (May 27) evening.
On May 7, Rafizi said he would be ready to step down from his party and Cabinet posts if he lost the deputy president post in the PKR polls.
Rafizi said he would return to be a grassroots level leader and campaign intensively for the party.
Rafizi was defeated by Nurul Izzah Anwar for the PKR deputy president's post in the party polls.
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