Nik Nazmi Resigns As Natural Resources Minister & Cites Same Reason As Rafizi
His resignation comes less than two hours after Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli announced his resignation as the Economy Minister.
By Yap Wan Xiang — 28 May 2025, 05:08 PM
Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad has submitted his resignation letter to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today, 28 May
In a statement published on Facebook, he said his resignation will take effect on 4 July, and he will be utilising the remainder of his annual leave beginning from tomorrow, 29 May, until 3 July.
Nik Nazmi said his decision stemmed from his failure to defend his party post as vice president in the recent party election.
The 43-year-old politician highlighted several reforms implemented during his tenure, first as the Natural Resources, Environment, and Climate Change Minister from December 2022 to December 2023, and then as the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister from December 2023 to July 2025.
These include amending Phase 1 of the Environmental Quality Act 1974 and enhancing transparency in Environmental Impact Assessment reports.
Under his leadership, he said Malaysia also became one of the earliest countries to submit its National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plan (NBSAP), a move that garnered praise from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for contributing to a significant reduction in deforestation.
"Within weeks in office, we also implemented subsidy retargeting for electricity under the Imbalance Cost Pass-Through (ICPT) Mechanism in Peninsular Malaysia. We likewise passed the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act at the Dewan Rakyat. In the water sector, we managed to establish the much-needed Tariff Setting Mechanism.
"Although starting from scratch, the National Climate Change Bill (RUUPIN) is now in the final stages of being tabled to cabinet and parliament," said Nik Nazmi.
He acknowledged that his previous position as the PKR vice president was a key factor in his initial cabinet appointment.
With that in mind, he resigned from the ministerial position for the same reason, having failed to defend his party post.
"I would like to thank the capable civil servants, the excellent team at my office, and all public, private, and civil society stakeholders who have taught me so much and enabled us to implement significant changes during this period.
"We tried our best to take an open, consultative approach with all in introducing laws and designing policies.
"I look forward to returning to my position on the backbenches of parliament, as well as focusing on my constituency work in Setiawangsa.
"To paraphrase the late British member of parliament (MP) Tony Benn, 'I am leaving cabinet to devote more time to politics and the public service,'" Nik Nazmi concluded the post.
His resignation comes less than two hours after Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli announced his resignation as the Economy Minister
Rafizi had earlier stated his intention to step down as economy minister and go back to being a regular member of parliament if he failed to be re-elected to PKR's No. 2 post.
Nik Nazmi was Rafizi's running mate, but the Setiawangsa MP also failed to defend his position as the PKR chief in his constituency.
In the lead-up to the PKR election, many of Rafizi's supporters failed to retain their positions within the party, fueling speculation about factional tensions and a potential weakening of Rafizi's camp.
