Will Anwar give Economy Ministry to Umno in exchange for Zafrul?

Will Anwar give Economy Ministry to Umno in exchange for Zafrul?

Zikri Kamarulzaman
Published: Jun 1, 2025 4:29 PM
Updated: Jun 2, 2025 1:14 PM


Summary

• Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim wants Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz to stay on as minister despite his resignation from Umno.

• This is causing friction with Umno, which sees itself losing influence in the cabinet.

• Anwar may appease the party by giving Rafizi Ramli’s economy minister post to an Umno member, preserving intra-government relations while paving the way for Zafrul to join PKR.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is in a slight pickle.

He wants Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz to remain as investment, trade, and industry minister despite the latter resigning from Umno.

“Zafrul is a minister who has carried out his responsibilities very well. Our investments amount to hundreds of billions, many of which have been handled through his efforts.

“So, his position as minister is not affected, and we want him to continue his duties as his performance has been good, and the country needs his contribution,” he was quoted as saying by Bernama today.

Umno, however, is not happy that Zafrul is abandoning ship to join PKR while also staying on as a minister.

It’s being framed by some in Umno as anger at unwarranted poaching by an ally, but it’s more likely because the party now has one less member in the cabinet to carry out its agenda.

Umno leaders


The party is looking to both push Zafrul out of the cabinet and find ways to void his senatorship.

With plans for PKR and Umno to continue being allies in the next general election, placating the latter will be important for Anwar, who is the PKR president.

Luckily for the prime minister, Rafizi Ramli’s decision to resign as economy minister presents a possible win-win solution.

While Anwar is rumoured to be upset that Rafizi has resigned, his vacancy can now be filled with an Umno minister to soothe the party.

One possible candidate is Umno vice-president Johari Abdul Ghani, who was a former second finance minister and a business tycoon.

Anwar can then appoint another Umno MP to Johari’s current portfolio as plantation and commodities minister.

Umno vice-president and Plantation and Commodities Minister Johari Abdul Ghani

This move would ensure that Umno keeps its seven minister quota in the current cabinet.

Once placated, PKR can then welcome Zafrul into their ranks without protest from their government partner.

This move, however, may take a while to play out.

Unless he has changed his mind, Anwar has said that he would not fill Rafizi’s vacancy until the latter leaves office on June 16.

The move also has a downside, as it is a temporary fix that only delays the inevitable.

This is because Zafrul is an unelected minister and his final term as senator expires at the end of the year, meaning that Anwar will eventually have to find a replacement.

That is, of course, unless PKR pulls off one of its signature moves by engineering a by-election to get Zafrul elected as an MP.

Thus far, this move has only been used for Anwar.

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kt comments:

I have a brilliant idea - get Wan Azizah (a reluctant politician) to vacate her current seat in Bandar Tun Razak, hold a by-election there, and get TZA to stand as a candidate - hopefully this time he can win a seat, wakakaka.