KUALA LUMPUR (May 28): Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has accepted the leave applications by Minister of Economy Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli and Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, said the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
The two ministers on Wednesday issued separate statements that they have tendered their resignations as federal ministers, having failed to retain their senior positions in their political party PKR.
The duo also cleared their outstanding leaves, with Rafizi on leave starting today until his supposed last day of work on June 16, while Nik Nazmi is on leave from Thursday (May 29) until July 3.
The PMO, in its follow-up statement, acknowledged their resignation letters but did not say whether their resignations have been accepted.
“Any further decision on the matter will be informed later by the prime minister,” the statement read.
Earlier, Anwar reportedly said that the outcome of the PKR polls, which concluded last week, will not lead to a Cabinet reshuffle, although he added that he cannot prevent ministers from resigning.
At the party polls, Rafizi failed to retain his deputy president post after being pitted against Nurul Izzah Anwar. Nik Nazmi also failed to retain his vice president post, with the post won by deputy minister of entrepreneur development and cooperatives Datuk Seri Ramanan Ramakrishnan.
Rafizi, who is also Member of Parliament for Pandan, has previously said he would resign from the Cabinet if he lost the deputy president spot. Separately, Nik Nazmi said his Cabinet appointment was tied to his party position, and since he failed to retain this role in the recent party polls, he had to resign and refocus on his duties as the Setiawangsa MP.