Rina wants to focus on work performance, not popularity

INTERVIEW | Rural Development Minister Rina Harun who may not be as well known compared to other cabinet ministers has revealed that her work performance is more important than popularity.

The Titiwangsa MP brushed aside the notion that she is a shy person and explained that her work requires more time in the rural areas.

"Not to say that I'm humble but there is a lot of work to be done. If I'm only chasing after popularity and be glamorous, commenting about this and that but at the end of the day, what have we implemented?

"I will only talk when necessary. Being the rural development minister, I go to the villages, paddy fields... maybe no one (media) during that time.

"It is not about being a shy person but I choose to implement what has been entrusted to me," she said during an interview at the Bersatu headquarters in Petaling Jaya.

The Bersatu women's chief was also asked on how her approach in her career would affect her public reputation.

"That's what many thought about me but I too have my own KPI (key performance index). A yearly KPI.

"What is more important is that there are roads, water supply, electricity, street lights... and I will always refer these plans to the prime minister so that he knows what I'm doing," she added.

However, Rina admitted that public reputation plays an important role too.

"Probably, I think popularity is important but it has to be in parallel with the execution of the work."

Not vocal on current issues

During the group interview, the banking graduate from Northwood University in the US was seen very careful in answering questions from the press about her ministry and her party.

Although being a minister in the past six months, she was rarely seen on the frontline to comment and explain current issues compared to other Bersatu cabinet members.

When asked to comment on that note, Rina did not say directly but instead explained that differing opinions among leaders may present an unhealthy perception to the people.

"We need to be seen as a team. What we say must be in line with the leadership.

"As a new government, we have to be seen as strong. We want to be seen that way to give confidence and assurance to the people.

"Let me put it in this way, we welcome various opinions but as leaders, and if there are gross contradictions, it will give a certain perception to the people that the elected government is not united.

"That is what we want to avoid," she explained.

Rina was born in Tanjung Karang and raised in Titiwangsa before her family moved to Sepang when she was 18 years old. Prior to joining Bersatu, she was the Sepang Umno Puteri chief.

Rina took the helm as the chief of the women's wing since April last year from Anina Saadudin, who was one of the founders of Bersatu.

In the last general election, Rina defeated Umno's Johari Abdul Ghani, who was the former second finance minister at that time, with 4,139 majority votes. - Mkini