Former economy minister Rafizi Ramli has penned a nostalgic tribute to his successor, Akmal Nasir, highlighting the new cabinet member’s dedication and determination to achieve goals.
In a social media post today, ominously titled “ministerial and deputy ministerial posts are actually a trap”, Rafizi (above) reminisced on how Akmal had repeatedly reached out to him in 2009 while he was attached to the Selangor Economic Advisory Office.
At the time, Rafizi said Akmal had just graduated from the United States with a degree in actuarial science and economics, having also been a volunteer in former US president Barack Obama’s electoral campaign.
“He (Akmal) emailed me his CV twice, and I rejected him both times. Not because his CV was not good, but I did not want him to waste his strong academic qualifications,” Rafizi explained.
“I advised him to start his career as an actuary, earn a lot of money, gain corporate experience, then come back to me after 10 years.
“At that time in Malaysia, once you had a work record with the opposition, no GLC (government-linked company) or MNC (multinational company) would hire you,” he added.
However, Rafizi said Akmal’s “stubbornness”, which he quipped mirrors his own, saw the latter submitting his CV for the third time, prompting his soon-to-be mentor to “reward his persistence”.
“When someone tries hard repeatedly, it means that person may succeed. So, Akmal became my officer starting in 2009. From then on, Akmal became my responsibility,” Rafizi recalled.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s reshuffled cabinet line-up, unveiled on Dec 16, saw Akmal being appointed as a full minister overseeing the economy.
Hidden talent
The Johor Bahru MP is a known ally of Rafizi, who resigned from his economy minister post in May following his defeat at the PKR election when he lost his bid for the party’s deputy presidency to Anwar’s daughter, Nurul Izzah.
Often perceived as Rafizi’s protégé, Akmal, who secured a spot on PKR’s central leadership council during the same election, previously served as the deputy energy transition and water transformation minister.
Reflecting on Akmal’s performance during the establishment of the National Oversight and Whistleblowers Centre and subsequent investigative works, Rafizi said he noticed Akmal had a “hidden talent”, namely the ability to go undercover.
“Akmal once posed as my cattle business partner when we exposed the NFC (National Feedlot Corporation) scandal.
“He also once posed as a property agent to verify that a minister’s family was living in a house owned by someone charged in a corruption case,” Rafizi recounted.
The Pandan MP also looked back on how Akmal had played a key role in reviving PKR’s presence in Johor Bahru from early 2014, with Rafizi describing Akmal as wanting to take on the “crazy task” of wresting the parliamentary seat from Umno.
“At that time, people in Johor Bahru did not take PKR seriously, and the parliamentary seat had never been won by the opposition… I said it was crazy work, but he (Akmal) insisted,” Rafizi said.
During the 2018 general election, Akmal secured the Johor Bahru parliamentary constituency in a straight fight against Umno’s Shahrir Abdul Samad, who held the seat for six non-consecutive terms.
Akmal then defended the seat during the 2022 general election in a four-cornered fight.
Positions, titles are ‘temporary’
Rafizi further noted that when Akmal sought his input upon being informed of talk on his potential cabinet debut, he reminded the younger parliamentarian of several crucial matters, including how positions and titles are “temporary”.
“Praise and insults from people do not help us in the afterlife; only sincere and good work can become rewards, because ministerial and deputy ministerial posts are a trap - if we are negligent and untrustworthy, we are the ones who will be trapped.
“If we are diligent, sincere, and our work has an impact, then it becomes a good trap to earn rewards,” Rafizi added.
Rafizi is expected to elaborate on the major cabinet shake-up, particularly the appointment of fellow PKR MP Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh as the deputy natural resources and environmental sustainability minister, in tomorrow’s episode of his podcast “Yang Berhenti Menteri”.
Political analysts previously opined that the appointment of Akmal and Syed Ibrahim, also a known Rafizi ally, could be part of Anwar’s endeavours to promote calmness within PKR, following perceived division after the party’s polls. - Mkini
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