KUALA LUMPUR — Rafizi Ramli’s decision to resign from the Cabinet has drawn little concern from residents in Pandan, who say political shifts matter less than what is done on the ground.
While many voters remain supportive of Rafizi continuing as their Member of Parliament, they also want greater grassroots involvement and more effective attention to local problems that affect daily life.
Following his defeat in the recent PKR party elections, Rafizi stepped down from his ministerial post — but in Pandan, constituents made it clear they expect their MP to stay committed to solving issues in the area.
Many praised Rafizi for being more visible than previous MPs, yet noted that presence alone is not enough.
Yuen Sang, a 47-year-old freelancer who has voted in Pandan since 2008, said there has been a “slight improvement” under Rafizi’s tenure, particularly regarding roadworks.
“The changes aren’t exactly significant, but yes, you can see some work happening since Rafizi became the MP. His defeat in the party to me is political — and this should not affect the common folks,” he said.
“With the general elections looming, I think Rafizi should remain the MP, regardless if he’s a Minister or not.”
N. Karthik, 37, a designer and printing shop owner, shared a similar view.
“For me, I feel Rafizi has done enough. I mean he has helped some people. I don’t see it as a problem if he continues to be the MP here.”
Mohd Nornafiah, 54, a roadside coconut shake and roti john vendor, echoed the sentiment.
“I believe the general sentiment of the residents here is that they would want Rafizi to stay on as MP. If compared to previous MPs, we could see him showing his face at least.”
However, he stressed that visibility does not equate to effective problem-solving, citing a sinkhole in Pandan Jaya that has been neglected for nearly a year.
“It’s only covered up by some construction cones. Hardly any repair has been done. Infighting within the political party is not our concern. We want a representative who does the work.”
Peggy Chin, 61, a volunteer and committee member of Kebun Komuniti Ceria Indah, highlighted the need for improved outreach.
“To be honest, we would like to see him continue as MP, but we would also like to see more improvement and more interaction between him and the residents here,” she said.
“We do understand that he is quite busy, but we would like to see more activities and interaction. To see him come out and spend more time with the penduduk. He is definitely better than previous MPs — but we want to see more.”
Although Rafizi has stepped down from Cabinet, he has affirmed his intention to remain active in public life. In a recent post on social media platform X, he said he is currently on leave but plans to re-engage with public discussions and respond to the many messages he has received.
He added that he already has plans for his next focus but will share more once things have settled, especially with Hari Raya Haji approaching.
“The real potential of this country lies with ordinary people. We have to go back to harnessing this potential,” he wrote. — June 4, 2025