Malaysia’s road map for reopening to include opposition input, finance minister says
- Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz said in an exclusive interview he had also held talks with representatives of parties in his Perikatan Nasional alliance
- His latest overtures to the opposition come as the ruling coalition faces increasing public criticism over a range of issues, from ministers to lockdowns
Tengku Zafrul last week held rare talks with leading opposition figures such as ex-prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, former finance minister Lim Guan Eng and members of the influential Parti Keadilan Rakyat – all of whom are deeply at odds with current Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.
“It’s important for people like me especially who are trying to draft and formulate this recovery plan that we listen,” Tengku Zafrul said in the Zoom interview on Friday.
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Malaysia’s finance minister pledges collaboration with opposition amid Covid crisis
The finance minister said he had also held talks with representatives of parties in his ruling Perikatan Nasional alliance, underscoring that lawmakers across the political spectrum were “front liners as they meet the people and they are the touch points”.
He added that the talks had been “very productive” and that he planned to host a second round of meetings this week to “try and understand some of the proposals”.
“I want to make data available to all because when they have data, they will get to give the right advice … meaning good feedback that is relevant and updated based on the current situation”.
Tengku Zafrul, a former top banker, was on July 9 tasked with coordinating the National Recovery Plan, a four-phase road map which envisages a full reopening of the economy after November once 60 per cent of the population is vaccinated and daily cases dip below 500.
