
Rafizi says loyalty only for PKR, no interest in other parties
KOTA BARU: Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli said his loyalty is solely to PKR and that he is not interested in joining any other political party.
The PKR deputy president affirmed his commitment to the party in response to calls from some members of the public to join Pas following issues surrounding the PKR central-level elections.
"The invitation came from members of the public, and this is quite normal because in programmes like these (social media ceramah), the viewers are not only from PKR but also from Pas, Umno as well as ordinary citizens.
"Perhaps many forget that a large portion of Pas supporters used to follow my ceramah back in the day.
"When Pas was part of Pakatan Rakyat alongside PKR, I was the one who frequently exposed issues and scandals that caught the public's attention, so perhaps that made me popular among Pas voters," said Rafizi, who is also the Economy Minister.
He made these remarks during a speech at the Jelajah Hidupkan Idealisme Reformasi dalam Ujian Kuasa (HIRUK) programme, held at the Kelantan State Complex for the National Department for Culture and Arts in Tanjung Chat here last night.
Also present were PKR vice-president Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad and Negri Sembilan Menteri Besar, who is also PKR vice-president, Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun.
Earlier reports stated that Rafizi was confident social media platforms could deliver the party's message more effectively despite the campaign period being only about a week long.
Rafizi said his virtual campaign efforts had attracted high viewership, exceeding 20,000 viewers, involving voters from various political parties—even though the current contest is only for internal party positions.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Focus Malaysia
22 minutes ago
- Focus Malaysia
PKR grassroots cast doubt PMX, Fahmi Reza are unaware of intimidation on pro-Rafizi digital creators
MANY PKR grassroots are doubtful that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil are oblivious to the so-called abuses by Madani government leaders who mix their political views with official government affairs as claimed by former PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli. This is despite the outgoing Economy Minister (last day June 17) having 'politely' expressed belief that the duo didn't instruct the relevant government machinery to harass or intimidate social media influencers who seemingly sided with his faction during the recent PKR central leadership poll. 'It's very dangerous if the PM/ministers are unaware of what is happening around him,' opined one commenter. 'A weak leader can cause his subordinates to become arrogant like in the Najib era. Misconduct can be rampant if the PM and ministers are weak. But the question is, is it true that PMX and his ministers are truly unaware? 🤭🤭' 𝘒𝘦𝘯𝘺𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘢𝘯 𝘔𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘢 𝟵 𝗝𝘂𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗕𝗘𝗭𝗔𝗔𝗡 𝗣𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗔𝗣𝗔𝗧: 𝗝𝗔𝗡𝗚𝗔𝗡 𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗧 𝗣𝗘𝗡𝗝𝗔𝗪𝗔𝗧 𝗔𝗪𝗔𝗠 𝗕𝗔𝗚𝗜 𝗧𝗨𝗝𝗨𝗔𝗡 𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗠𝗜𝗗𝗔𝗦𝗜 Pemilihan Parti Keadilan Rakyat (KEADILAN) 2025 yang baru berlaku mengundang pelbagai pandangan dan… — Rafizi Ramli (@rafiziramli) June 9, 2025 Recall that Rafizi had on yesterday (June 9) exposed that several individuals who had shared critical comments on the PKR election process and outcome were subjected to investigations by enforcement agencies such as the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM). This is where he advised civil servants not to be dragged into or succumb to pressure from Madani government leaders who manipulate civil servants to execute certain political actions. 'It's very worrisome if it's indeed true that the PM and his ministers are unaware of what's happening under their noses,' cautioned another commenter. 'Who then directs the MCMC and the PDRM? And how long will they be allowed to act without control? When leaders fail to control the agencies, we're no longer been ruled but are oppressed. This is not reform. This is betrayal.' This is when another presumably PKR 'old hat' warned PMX against allowing groups that are said to be 'loyal' to him ruin his good reputation as well as tarnishing the true PKR struggle. 'Don't try to act as if you are blind and innocent because you may end up like the folktale The Emperor's New Clothes. – June 10, 2025 Main image credit: serendipity (@darahseparuh)/X


Free Malaysia Today
2 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
How political musical chairs empties Malaysian pockets
From Ismat Qayum Depending on who you asked in 2018, Malaysia either enjoyed or endured six prime ministers in six decades. With another four prime ministers in the ensuing four years, some have argued that this is the lagging effect of a maturing democracy. Others, however, bemoan that such musical-chairs politics will damage our country's standing. When Anwar Ibrahim cajoled his motley crew into forming the unity government, there was an implicit promise to all of us. With a supermajority in Parliament, they would have the political stability to enact overdue reforms. Ever since the six state elections in 2023, the overarching view has been that while the government's performance is underwhelming, the stalemate result was expected. Unfortunately, it also meant that any inkling of reformist sails had to be curbed by a don't-rock-the-boat mentality. The government has, all but in name, implemented a Ming vase strategy. Govern in caution, preserve the status quo, and this should result in success for the 16th general election. However, in this balancing act, there is a blind spot brewing within party politics. Recently, we saw two of the biggest sins committed in coalition politics. First, the ruling governing party, PKR, failed to take care of its own house. The party polls led to the unprecedented resignations of Rafizi Ramli and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad from their ministerial posts. Rafizi has stepped down as the economy minister, and Nik Nazmi as the natural resources and environmental sustainability minister. Historically, it has never boded well for Malaysia to see an incumbent deputy president ousted in such a manner – the current prime minister could tell you that firsthand. The second sin was arguably the tipping point: enabling ministers to shift houses. The impending entry of the investment, trade and industry minister, Tengku Zafrul Aziz, who quit Umno and wants to join PKR, marks a worrying development in the story of this government. Already, the ever-opportunistic Dr Akmal Saleh, the Umno Youth chief, has challenged Tengku Zafrul to resign as a minister. If this rift between the two houses continues to widen, it will bring the question of stability to the forefront. If there's one thing I have learnt from fund managers, sovereign wealth funds, and development banks, it is the art of managing optics and expectations. Government is a test of credible commitments. That credibility boils down to a few key ingredients: sound macroeconomic fundamentals, a healthy business environment, and robust governance. In other words, credible commitments are a test of predictability. You need predictability in your policies. But, more importantly, you need predictability in your politicians. In 2011, an IMF working paper demonstrated that political instability negatively affects economic growth. This is unsurprising: can we name a single high-growth economic policy from the lame-duck period of 2020-2022? What's more shocking is that for every additional Cabinet change, a country's annual growth rate decreases by 2.39 percentage points! If even Malaysians are unsure about the policy priorities (or lack thereof) of incoming ministers, how are foreign investors supposed to feel comfortable about deploying capital? More pressing is the question of the people's pockets. For every ringgit we are being taxed, how much are we getting in the quality of public infrastructure and services? Governments have to increase their revenues to increase the amount being redistributed to public goods. There are fundamentally two ways to do that: either increase taxes or have sustainably high growth rates. As the pie (read: economy) continues to grow, a bigger amount can be given to build better schools and hospitals. And make no mistake, the Madani government has performed well on most economic indicators. Inflation has dropped to 1.4%, 2024's GDP growth was a robust 5.1%, and FDI is at the highest in the nation's history. The trouble is, this performance is confined to a single year. For the wave to cascade equitably across society, one must patiently build it over several years. Yet, we are already seeing the wave slow down: Malaysia's Q1 GDP 2025 performance was below expectation at 4.4% – the third straight quarter of slower growth. Factor in the disruption of US president Donald Trump's tariffs, and political instability becomes something the government cannot afford. It would dry the taps of FDI inflows, reduce high-value job creation, and impede wage growth. Just think about how Malaysia's wages have barely inched since the fallout of the Asian Financial Crisis. Without a predictable environment, the government would fail in its test of credible commitments. History would repeat itself: the pockets of everyday Malaysians will feel the same, or even worse, 25 years from now. There is a caveat to the Ming vase strategy: it rarely works for incumbents. When US vice-president Kamala Harris campaigned on a platform against alienation, her message failed to resonate with everyone. Contrast that to the decisiveness of the Canadian Liberals, who in the final stretch, ousted Justin Trudeau with Mark Carney, resulting in a general election victory. The unity government must heed this lesson. Incumbents only win if they are willing to be bold. If they stand any chance of stopping their sliding popularity, they must restore stability and enact their implicit promise of reforms. The worry is that even then, it might be too late. Ismat Qayum is an FMT reader. The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.


Rakyat Post
2 hours ago
- Rakyat Post
Tengku Zafrul Shoots Down By-Election Rumours, Says This Wasn't Why He Switched Parties
Subscribe to our FREE Tengku Zafrul, who's still currently the Investment, Trade, and Ministry Minister, released a statement on his official Instagram to address rumours of a Selangor by-election following his decision to leave Umno and join PKR. He was referring to the speculation alleging that this by-election will pave the way for him to become Selangor menteri besar after joining PKR. He added that he doesn't agree with holding a by-election without a good reason because it uses the people's time and money. Tengku Zafrul also shared that he will continue to serve his term as minister until December 2025 and leaves the decision of his ministership in the hands of the prime minister. He stressed that no discussions had taken place with regard to triggering a by-election in Selangor and that it was never among the factors that led to his decision to leave Umno. I'm always ready to serve the country in any capacity. I left the corporate world with the intention to serve and as long as my services are needed, I'm ready to continue contributing without needing a position. Tengku Zafrul, Investment, Trade, and Ministry Minister In his statement, he reiterated that the decision to leave Umno was done on his own accord and a personal choice. He admitted it wasn't an easy decision and has deeply considered all views and opinions given. He also thanked his peers in Umno, including the leadership, for supporting him throughut his time in the party. On 30 May, Tengku Zafrul surprised many when he announced his decision to resign as an Umno member and voiced his intention to join Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR). READ MORE: His shocking announcement came a few days after Rafizi Ramli resigning as the Economic Minister and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad stepping down as the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister after they both lost a contest for the deputy president in PKR. The highly contested role went to Nurul Izzah Anwar. Both news of resignation also happened during the Asean Summit week. READ MORE: READ MORE: Share your thoughts with us via TRP's . Get more stories like this to your inbox by signing up for our newsletter.