KUCHING: The decision to appoint successors for Rafizi Ramli and Nik Nazmi rests solely with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, as both positions fall under Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR)’s quota.
Political analyst Dr. Lee Kuok Tiung noted that there are rumours suggesting former minister Khairy Jamaluddin, popularly known as KJ, could be a contender for one of the vacancies.
“There are rumors that KJ will be brought back into the Cabinet. Since he is not an MP or a representative of any party, it will be something unique to the dynamics of Malaysian politics.
“We already know that KJ is a leader with his own charm such as moderate, technocratic and progressive. This will definitely be an added value to the PMX cabinet,” Lee told the Sarawak Tribune when asked about the Cabinet reshuffle speculation today.
Although both Rafizi and Nik Nazmi have announced their resignations, Lee said the resignations are not yet effective because they are still on leave.
“Rafizi Ramli resigned as Minister of Economy effective Jun 17, 2025, while Nik Nazmi announced his resignation as minister effective July 4, 2025. This means that neither of them has officially resigned. Once both have officially resigned, appointing their successors is the Prime Minister’s prerogative.
“There is no issue as both are PKR’s quota. Again, it remains PMX’s prerogative to decide on the replacements,” he added.
However, Lee pointed out the possibility that one of the main considerations is the status of Senator Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Aziz who recently resigned from UMNO and applied to join PKR.
“Since he holds one of the UMNO quota ministerial posts, it is likely that UMNO will insist on reclaiming the ministerial quota. This raises the possibility that one of the vacant posts could be allocated to an UMNO representative,” said Lee.
Previously, Anwar has said there is no urgency to carry out a Cabinet reshuffle at this time.
He said the government remains functional despite the recent resignations of two ministers.
