KLANG: With Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad stepping down from their Cabinet positions, speculation is rife in Selangor that Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari will be appointed to the Federal Government.
Some observers believe that state Islamic and cultural innovation committee chairman Dr Fahmi Ngah is a strong potential candidate for mentri besar if Amirudin's move to Putrajaya happens.
Rafizi, the former PKR deputy president, resigned on Wednesday (May 28) as economy minister after losing his party position to Nurul Izzah Anwar last weekend.
ALSO READ: Rafizi: I’ve submitted my resignation as Economy Minister
Nik Nazmi stepped down as natural resources and environmental sustainability minister on Wednesday, following his loss in the PKR vice presidential contest.
A party insider revealed that Muhammad Kamil Abdul Munim, the newly elected PKR youth chief, might be appointed as a senator and possibly elevated to a ministerial or deputy ministerial role.
“And whoever is already a deputy minister, including Deputy Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Datuk R. Ramanan, has a chance of moving up as a full minister," said the source.
Ramanan obtained the second most votes after Amirudin to emerge as one of the party’s four vice presidents in the PKR central leadership polls on Friday (May 23).
ALSO READ: Nik Nazmi also resigns from Cabinet
Kamil, a lawyer by profession, is also a political secretary to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Merdeka Center executive director Ibrahim Suffian believes that Anwar might opt to appoint a corporate figure or technocrat rather than a politician to fill Rafizi’s role.
“However, it will be a bit of a challenge finding a candidate to take up the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability portfolio as it covers responsibilities over water, environmental and land issues.
“Since it involves handling many stakeholders, the replacement has to be someone with strong political acumen," Ibrahim added.
He concurred that Anwar may have to "shuffle the deck" and elevate an existing deputy minister to the position.
