Speculation has been rife that Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Aziz (pictured) could be making his move into politics, ever since former Federal Territories Minister Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin said last July that Zafrul could be fielded as an Umno candidate for the Lembah Pantai parliamentary constituency in the 15th general election (GE15).
With the upcoming GE anticipated to be held either this year or in 2023, at the latest, talk of Zafrul contesting in the election has tailed off. The most recent speculation that has surfaced is that he is slated to run in Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan.
When pressed on speculation that he might run in Kuala Pilah, his reply was that Kuala Pilah is his mother’s and his wife’s hometown. He adds that his great-grandfather was also buried in Kuala Pilah.
“Tell me the upside of running, then I’ll decide,” he says in jest.
What is worth noting is that while Zafrul could run in the upcoming election if that is his intention, he does not need to do so to remain a senator.
He is currently in his second year as senator and finance minister. He was appointed on March 10, 2020, leaving him with another year before his term ends.
By law, a senator can be reappointed for a second term, allowing an individual to be a member of the Senate for a maximum of six years. The Federal Constitution also states that “the Senate shall not be affected by the dissolution of Parliament”.
That means that if Zafrul is reappointed as senator for a second term before GE15 takes place, he could be around until 2026.
That being said, his position as finance minister is dependent on whether the government of the day chooses to keep him in office.
Nevertheless, Zafrul believes that even if he no longer stays on as a minister, he would be able to give support and play a role to assist from “the outside”.
“You don’t have to be a minister to assist,” he notes.
On the suggestion that being in the driver’s seat as finance minister is very different from assisting from “the outside”, he replies candidly: “That’s true, a lot of challenges and headaches, but it’s very fulfilling lah.”
This article first appeared in The Edge Malaysia Weekly, on January 10, 2022 - January 16, 2022.