How losing party posts led to Cabinet exits before — and what's different this time with PKR's Rafizi and Nik Nazmi

Malay Mail

29-05-2025

KUALA LUMPUR, May 30 — In a span of several hours, two Cabinet members under the Anwar administration — Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad — announced their resignation this week after failing to retain key posts in the party leadership.
Their abrupt resignation comes after both Rafizi and Nik Nazmi failed to defend their PKR deputy presidency and vice-presidency respectively in the party's recent elections.
However, have there been other instances where Cabinet members have resigned or been replaced following changes in their respective party leadership?
The short answer is yes. This was hardly the first time, and here is a list of what happened following their losses:
Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat (right) lost his MCA presidency to Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek (left) in 2010. — Picture by Saw Siow Feng
1. Ong Tee Keat dropped after losing MCA presidency
In October 2008, then MCA president Tan Sri Ong Tee Keat was elected to his post while Tan Sri Dr Chua Soi Lek was elected deputy president following party polls.
However, their appointments set forth a tumultuous partnership as both men could not see eye to eye and would eventually lead to a leadership crisis which took nearly 18 months to resolve, culminating in a re-election in early March 2010.
In the 2010 party polls, Dr Chua emerged victorious and Ong failed to defend his presidency.
Ong, who was transport minister at the time, was subsequently dropped from Datuk Seri Najib Razak's federal Cabinet in a reshuffle which took place in June the same year.
Unlike Rafizi and Nik Nazmi, Ong did not immediately tender his resignation as a Cabinet member after his defeat.
He was replaced by Tan Sri Kong Cho Ha — the MCA secretary-general then.
Datuk Seri Dr S.Subramaniam (left) and Datuk Seri G.Palanivel (sitting) sharing a light moment in 2013 before their rift in 2015. — Picture by Choo Choy May
2. G. Palanivel losing post following ouster from MIC presidency
In June 2015, MIC was plunged into a leadership struggle, with then party president Datuk Seri G Palanivel and his then deputy Tan Sri Dr S Subramaniam that saw both leaders claiming to be president.
The struggle stemmed from Palanivel disputing the Registrar of Societies order for MIC to conduct re-elections for the party.
The leadership crisis would culminate in Palanivel being ousted by Dr Subramaniam after the party's central working committee (CWC) ruled the former's party membership has been revoked for taking the party to court without a resolution from the CWC.
Palanivel, who was natural resources and environment minister, was subsequently dropped from Datuk Seri Najib Razak's federal Cabinet in a reshuffle which took place in July the same year.
Palanivel did not immediately tender his resignation as a Cabinet member after losing his party membership and presidency.
He was replaced by Tun Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar from Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu.
PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (centre), flanked by former deputy president Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli (sitting left) and former vice-president Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad (right). — Picture by Shafwan Zaidon
What's next for Rafizi and Nik Nazmi — but also Anwar?
The obvious difference with the abovementioned cases was that Rafizi and Nik Nazmi both had resigned.
With the PKR party polls now concluded and vacancies in the Cabinet to be filled, a Cabinet reshuffle is the most likely outcome.
A day before party polls, Anwar reassured the public that his party's poll was an internal process and had nothing to do with the issue of reshuffling the Cabinet.
He said he was powerless to stop other people's ambitions should they wish to resign but affirmed that he has no plans of making changes to his Cabinet line-up just yet.
The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) later confirmed it has received letters from both Rafizi and Nik Nazmi requesting leave and resignations from their Cabinet posts.
The PMO said Anwar has approved the leave requests from both ministers following a review of their submissions but any further developments regarding the matter of their resignation will be communicated in due course.
Anwar also said that there will be no Cabinet reshuffle with the duo are on gardening leave.
Meanwhile, Umno president and Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said Umno is willing to accept the vacated Cabinet posts but won't demand them as they 'know the limits to their requests'.
Zahid also called the duo's decision 'principled', while praising their contributions to the government.
BN is a coalition partner to Anwar's Pakatan Harapan. Its component party Umno, who holds the most seats in BN at 26 out of 30, currently has seven ministers in its line up.