# Malaysia cabinet resignations follow internal PKR leadership defeats
Event date: 2025-05-28
Malaysia’s Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli has resigned from the cabinet after losing the contest for deputy presidency in Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s party, and Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad followed with his own resignation hours later.
The resignations came after a bruising internal election in Parti Keadilan Rakyat, or PKR, in which Anwar’s daughter Nurul Izzah won the deputy presidency with 9,803 votes against Rafizi’s 3,866. The result gave the party a new heir-apparent and immediately reshaped the political calculations around cabinet appointments and party loyalty.
Rafizi said he had submitted his resignation letter to Anwar and that it would take effect on June 17. He also said he would take leave from Wednesday until June 16. In his statement, he argued that leaders who lose party elections should make way for the victors in government roles, presenting his resignation as a matter of democratic principle and accountability.
He said his work as economy minister had been completed with the finalization of the 13th Malaysia Plan, which would be presented in the upcoming parliamentary session. He also urged the cabinet to preserve some of the plan’s education reforms, even after his departure.
Nik Nazmi, who is seen as an ally of Rafizi, said he had also submitted a resignation letter to Anwar and would be on leave until July 3. He said his prior role as PKR vice-president had been a key factor in his cabinet appointment, and that his failure to defend that party post led him to step down as minister.
The twin resignations matter because they affect both the government’s portfolio balance and PKR’s internal cohesion. Rafizi’s ministry has been central to large economic initiatives, including the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone, and analysts cited by CNA said his departure could deepen divisions inside the party.
The report also highlights the wider political dilemma facing Anwar. Nurul Izzah has said she is not keen on a cabinet post, yet bringing her into government could sharpen accusations of nepotism. Leaving the post empty could weaken PKR’s influence over a key policy ministry.
Within the coalition, other parties appeared to see an opening. UMNO chief Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the party would not ask for ministerial posts but would accept one if offered. That response shows how quickly internal PKR politics can spill into coalition bargaining.
The prime minister’s office said Anwar had received both resignation and leave requests and had approved the leave while deferring any further decision. That means the immediate move is procedural, but the larger reshuffle remains unresolved.
For Rafizi, the resignation matches a promise made before the vote. For Nik Nazmi, it is a political choice tied to party standing. For Anwar, it creates a gap in the cabinet just as the government is trying to project discipline and continuity.
The episode also reinforces how much Malaysian cabinet politics can be shaped by party contests rather than national elections alone. A single internal defeat can still trigger a ministerial exit, a coalition negotiation and a new round of speculation about succession and influence.
The near-term question is not whether the resignations were announced, but how Anwar decides to fill the resulting vacancy and whether PKR can contain the fallout from its own leadership contest.
*Source: CNA 5305*
