GEORGE TOWN — Penang PKR vice chairman Fahmi Zainol, aligned with former party deputy president Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli, has confirmed he will not resign from his role as the state executive councillor for agrotechnology, food security and cooperative development, following Rafizi’s resignation from the cabinet yesterday.
Fahmi emphasised that he was appointed to the Penang executive committee by his party with a mandate to serve a full term.
“Therefore, I will follow my party’s instructions, and I will continue carrying out the trust (given to me). I will not resign,” he told reporters today.
The Pantai Jerejak assemblyman added that he has not received any calls to step down from the state government.
“There was no push (for me to resign). Things seem to have calmed down,” he said.
Fahmi is one of two PKR executive councillors currently serving in the Penang state government, alongside Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Mohamad Abdul Hamid. Fahmi was defeated in the Jelutong PKR division-level election held on 20 April.
Rafizi, who lost the party deputy president position to Nurul Izzah Anwar in the central leadership election last week, resigned as economy minister yesterday, effective 17 June.
The Pandan MP said his defeat means he no longer holds the mandate from his party to translate its people-centric agenda into government programmes. He added that, “in line with democratic practices in other countries, leaders who lose party elections should make way for those who have secured the party’s trust.”
Rafizi’s resignation was followed by that of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, who stepped down a few hours later.
The Setiawangsa MP, who also failed to retain his position as PKR vice-president and was defeated in his bid to remain Setiawangsa division chief, similarly stated that he no longer held the political mandate to serve in Cabinet. — May 29, 2025