A former senior aide to former Selangor menteri besar Khalid Ibrahim has described Rafizi Ramli’s current difficulties as kifarah (karmic retribution).
Faekah Husin said this is due to Rafizi’s role in engineering the ill-fated “Kajang Move” as PKR’s strategy director in 2014 to unseat Khalid and replace him with the party’s then de facto leader, Anwar Ibrahim.
She said the move triggered an unnecessary by-election to pave the way for Anwar to be elected into the Selangor state assembly, but was thwarted by his sodomy conviction before the poll.
Anwar’s wife, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, was fielded in Anwar’s stead and retained the Kajang seat. However, Selangor ruler Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah appointed Azmin Ali as the new menteri besar instead.
“The Kajang Move was indeed distasteful, but it would not have occurred without the consent of the top leadership, nor if that leadership had been just and honest.
“As the architect behind the strategy, Rafizi may now be experiencing kifarah for what he had done,” Faekah, the former political secretary to Khalid, said in a Facebook post today.
She said she decided to share her thoughts after being approached by a journalist for comments about Rafizi’s performance.
“Even if he does not admit fault, at the very least, he is now experiencing what the late Khalid felt when he was sidelined by the party in 2014.
“Kifarah does not befall only certain individuals; who knows, it may next involve Nurul Izzah or even Wan Azizah. Only God knows,” she added, referring to Anwar’s daughter, who is now PKR deputy president.
What is the benchmark to call Rafizi ‘failure’?
Faekah, however, questioned what benchmark is being used by those who labelled Rafizi as a “failed minister”.
“In my view, if he has failed, then the leadership must be questioned, namely the prime minister, as he is the one steering the administration.
“The key question is whether the prime minister possesses clear ideas and a well-defined vision and mission of what he intends to implement and achieve.
“For instance, if there are programmes, plans, or strategies to be implemented, they would undoubtedly require the approval of the prime minister and the cabinet.
“It is therefore unfair that when such initiatives succeed, the government is praised collectively, but when they fail, the prime minister absolves himself of responsibility. This is unjust to any minister, not only Rafizi,” Faekah added.
‘Khalid did better’
She, however, drew an unflinching comparison between Rafizi and the late Khalid, claiming that the Pandan MP, unlike her former boss, had not been able to execute anything significant.
“The difference, however, is that the late Khalid was still able to demonstrate and defend the success of the programmes and policies he implemented while administering Selangor as menteri besar.
“In contrast, Rafizi has not had the opportunity to implement anything sufficiently significant or impactful for the rakyat.
“There may have been efforts, but these could have been overshadowed by other ministries or even by the prime minister himself,” she added.
Faekah added that most importantly, the issue isn’t just about how others are criticising Rafizi, but what he himself has publicly raised, as his concerns carry weight because they come from within the system.
She pointed out that Rafizi has questioned Anwar’s stance towards figures like MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki as well as the prime minister’s former aide, Farhash Wafa Salvador Rizal Mubarak, among other influential individuals.
Faekah said this implied that the real problem may not just be ministerial performance, but who actually holds power behind the scenes and how decisions are shaped.
“Frankly, I do not believe Rafizi’s future depends on PKR, as politics is dynamic rather than static.
“Voters today are increasingly mature in their judgment, particularly as the Madani government led by Anwar is being seen as failing to govern effectively, despite having spent two decades making promises and raising expectations,” she added.
In a statement on Facebook, Rafizi said that he will respond to accusations about his ministerial performance tomorrow, via his podcast.
Rafizi also dismissed the criticisms as a coordinated attempt to distract, while recasting the notion of failure as a consequence of his refusal to remain silent on corruption, bow to pressure, or ingratiate himself with those in power. - FMT
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