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KUALA LUMPUR: Not a politician and not willing to become one, the banker who became Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz is steadfast in remaining a technocrat and ensuring that lives and livelihoods in the country are safeguarded amid the health pandemic.
“I am not interested in joining any political party. As you know, I am not a member of any at the moment, ”he said when asked if he would eventually join politics and become an elected representative.
There is a lot of work to be done to prop up the economy and that is the key focus now, he said.
“I want to focus on how I think I can help Malaysia’s fight against Covid-19 and improve our economic position,” he told Bernama in an interview.
“Therefore, I am not interested for now in joining any political party,” he said, confident in his ability to strengthen the country’s economy after a pandemic, without the need to be in politics.
The Malaysian economy showed signs of recovery with a contraction of -2.7% for the third quarter of 2020 compared to -17.1% in the second quarter, as it bore the brunt of the effects of the seven weeks of motion control order (MCO) of March 18.
Tengku Zafrul was sworn in as a senator on March 10 before his appointment as finance minister.
Coming from the corporate world, Tengku Zafrul recently received criticism when he announced several new initiatives during his 2021 budget settlement speech.
Tengku Zafrul explained through a post on Facebook that the initiatives were not his suggestions but rather those of the legislators themselves during the course of the debates in Parliament.
“All the improvements that were announced were the result of proposals from the deputies themselves, whether from the government or the opposition,” he said.
“For example, the proposal to extend the one-time special grant to front-line leaders was raised, among others, by MPs from Pontian (Umno), Ipoh Barat (DAP), Hulu Rajang (PRS) and Lembah Pantai (PKR), all from different political parties, ”said Tengku Zafrul.
The decision to extend the aid was made after taking into account arguments in Parliament such as the third wave of Covid-19, which is spreading rapidly and the implementation of the conditional MCO (CMCO) in various states.
However, he said the government was unable to accept or implement all the proposed proposals.
He said the role of government is always to balance the various interests in terms of cost to ensure recipients really need them and the implications on the market or treasury. “I admit, it’s not an easy balancing act,” he said.
However, when the clash between these interests arises, the government will always prioritize the welfare and well-being of the people, he added.
