Days after a defeat in an internal party election, two Malaysian ministers have announced their resignation, including Malaysia’s Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES) minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, who said he has chosen to do so as his party position was the main consideration in his appointment to the cabinet.
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Nik Nazmi announced his intention to quit the Cabinet yesterday, hours after the country’s economy minister Rafizi Ramli’s tendered his resignation for similar reasons. Both failed to defend their positions as vice-president and deputy president of the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), respectively, in its first internal polls since Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim formed the government in November 2022.
The Prime Minister has received the letter of resignation and application for leave from both ministers, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office. He has approved the leave applications and “any further decision regarding this matter will be announced later,” the statement said.
In a separate statement, Nik Nazmi said: “As I have failed to defend my party post during its recent elections, I have decided to resign as a minister.”
Nik Nazmi was first appointed to the cabinet as Minister of Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change in December 2022. In December 2023, he was reappointed under the restructured NRES portfolio.
He failed to retain his PKR vice-presidency in an 11-cornered contest last weekend, losing the post to fellow contestant Ramanan Ramakrishnan.
During his tenure as minister, Nik Nazmi played a key role in implementing policy reforms aimed at advancing Malaysia’s decarbonisation efforts and transition towards net zero.
These efforts included the introduction of the National Climate Change Bill (RUUPIN), amendments under Phase 1 of the Environmental Quality Act 1974 [Act 127], and the move to make Environmental Impact Assessment reports publicly accessible.
In his statement, Nik Nazmi also cited his contributions in the ministry, stating that he has “worked tirelessly” with his deputy minister and civil servants to “implement much-needed reforms”.
The climate bill is now in the final stages of being tabled to the cabinet and Parliament, he shared. In an exclusive interview with Eco-Business last October, Nik Nazmi had described the bill as a critical one that will “outlast any minister or government”.
He also said Malaysia became one of the earliest countries to submit its National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plan (NBSAP), aimed at halting biodiversity loss and strengthening conservation efforts to the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity.
Other efforts he cited include the implementation of targeted electricity subsidies under the Imbalance Cost Pass-Through (ICPT) Mechanism in Peninsular Malaysia and the passing of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act in the Dewan Rakyat, the lower house of the Malaysian Parliament.
“We tried our best to take an open, consultative approach with all [parties] in introducing laws and designing policies,” he said, adding that he will now return to his role on the backbenches of parliament and focus on his duties as the MP for Setiawangsa.
He will be on leave until 3 July, and in his statement, he said his resignation will be effective 4 July 2025.
