IN Malaysia, it is common for politicians to experience ebb and flow in fortunes. The once-mighty ex-premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak a.k.a. Bossku is now behind bars while former Sungai Buloh prison inmate Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is now Malaysia’s 10th Prime Minister (PM).
But perhaps no politician has experienced a more dramatic rise and fall within a short span as Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli.
The Economy Minister and PKR deputy president used to be a political darling back when he was in the Opposition. He shot to prominence in the 2010s, exposing alleged wrongdoings involving the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) which implicated the then women, family and community development minister Tan Sri Shahrizat Jalil.
Young, energetic and articulate, Rafizi who used to work in PETRONAS before venturing into politics was widely regarded as a breath of fresh air and even touted as “PM material” alongside Nurul Izzah Anwar, the current PM’s daughter.
In the years since, the Pandan MP has been a fierce critic of the corrupt Barisan Nasional regime, exposing one scandal after another, including excesses involving 1MDB (1Malaysia Development Bhd).
But it is his clear, concise explanations of scandals, abuses and mismanagement that had won Rafizi a huge following. At political ceramah and short video messages, Rafizi had the knack for breaking down complex scandals into relatable bite-size messages as well as coming up with “formulas” as solution to the country’s woes like inflation.
Twist of fate
The latter would earn him the moniker “Formula King” – initially in a complimentary fashion – but eventually in a condescending tone.
Ironically, having spent more than a decade railing against the ruling regime, Rafizi’s fortunes took a sharp dive after joining the Cabinet. With an electorate deeply hopeful that he could apply his “formulas” now that he is in government, the minister has been nothing but a massive let down.
His promise to reduce petrol and diesel prices, lower car prices and abolish tolls remained unfulfilled despite being the Economy Minister. To make matters worse, last September, he blamed Malaysians’ “addiction” to eating out for their financial woes.
And when the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) allowed contributors to withdraw part of their savings in May this year, Rafizi did not speak up despite having strongly opposed such moves in the past.
But the worst attacks against Rafizi took place after the Finance Ministry announced plans to abolish the bulk subsidies for diesel from June 10.
On social media feeds and messaging apps like WhatsApp, Rafizi became a popular punching bag as users dug up old videos of him promising to slash the price of fuel, not raise them.
Many questioned if his “formulas” were sound to begin with and whether he had just built castles in the air just to win votes. Some even called him an outright liar.
With the vicious attacks against Rafizi showing no signs of abating – and likely to pick up momentum in the run-up to the Sungai Bakap by-election – is this the end of the road for this political maverick?
It’d be too early to write him off but he could use this as an opportunity to come up with a formula (a working one this time) to turn his political fortunes around. – June 17, 2024
