By Lisa J. Ariffin
KUALA LUMPUR, June 25 — PKR strategy director Rafizi Ramli today denied the Selangor government is in crisis and accused the Umno media of playing up his resignation as chief executive officer of the state’s Economic Adviser’s Office.
“I first made my intention to resign from the Selangor Economic Adviser’s Office in October 2011 when PKR was focused on exposing the NFC (National Feedlot Corporation) scandal. As the date of election was unclear then, I was asked to postpone my intention,” Rafizi (picture) told a press conference today.
“Now, Parliament will be dissolved in less than a year. With this in mind, I am confident my time and energy will be better spent planning and strategising PKR’s election campaign.
“My service is needed more at Keadilan and Pakatan Rakyat. Whatever time I’m spending in Selangor is better spent in the party,” he said.
Rafizi described his resignation as “normal” and believed “a politician’s salary should not be funded by the public when his or her focus is on the political activities of the party”.
“I am not comfortable as chief executive officer of Selangor’s Economic Adviser’s Office and while at the same time I am PKR’s director of strategy,” he explained.
“Sometimes the lines can be blurred; this is a moral issue which I am not too comfortable with it,” he said.
Rafizi reiterated this discomfort was the reason he had resigned from his post and that now “all focus would be on the effort to topple Umno and Barisan Nasional”.
“We must make sure there is change in the government as wanted by the public.”
Last week, Rafizi had announced his resignation from the Selangor Economic Adviser’s Office.
The post of economic adviser to the Selangor government is held by Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is also the de facto head of PKR.
“I have given notice of my resignation. Any inquiries on Selangor’s economy or related matters after this should be referred to the state government or Anwar Ibrahim,” Rafizi had said earlier in a Twitter message.
He also denied that there was any political dimension to his resignation.
There had been speculation that there was a rift between him and Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim over an education project in the state and also factionalism in Selangor PKR.
Khalid has since denied his government was in crisis, saying conflicts between the PKR-led state administration and leaders from the party were due to “normal” differences of opinion in politics.
