Rafizi says will not mix ministerial duties with political affairs

KUALA LUMPUR: Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli has pledged he will use his time as a Cabinet member as best as possible and will not mix his ministerial duties with his role as PKR deputy president.

In a Facebook post, Rafizi said he is aware that the social media war is still heated up with political drama, but the government's main responsibility now is to improve the people’s quality of life.

"We are paid by the people to work for the nation and we cannot use our working time to carry out our political duties.

"Campaigning is to be conducted in our own time such as at night or during weekends so that there is no clash of responsibilities as a minister and my role in the party. It’s time for us to change the political culture," he said.

Rafizi said the government's priority now is to focus on policies and implementation of projects that can create an impact to help the people prepare for the economic challenges of 2023 which are expected to further test the country's economic resilience.

Moving forward, he also promised not to use a single cent of the government's money and time in campaigning for his party beginning January, to face the six state elections.

He said he would deal with criticism from Perikatan Nasional and answer the issues raised outside his working hours, during which time he would also be coordinating the role of activists and leaders of the unity government in monitoring the performance of Perikatan as the opposition. - Bernama