Thank you, Tengku Zafrul

Syukurlah kita dapat bertemu di majlis ini bagi meraikan pimpinan yang kita hormati dan sanjungi Tengku Zafrul yang telah memberi sumbangan dan jasa bakti, bukan sahaja kepada MITI tetapi juga kepada negara. Jasamu sepanjang perkhidmatan akan sentiasa dikenang.

Izinkan saya bermula dengan serangkap pantun:

Tunjuk hormat jangan mencelah
Sopan santun jadi amalan
Dulu tak kenal walau di sebelah
Kini berkhidmat jadi timbalan

Dear Minister, friends, and colleagues,

I am not sure if you remember this, Tengku Zafrul, but I first met you in July 2008 at the first-ever briefing for Opposition MPs by AirAsia. I was elected in March that year at the height of Malaysia’s political tsunami, which also prompted Tan Sri Tony Fernandes to engage with our side of politics. I was a rookie MP and you were a young CEO of one of the Maybank subsidiaries. I was actually seated next to you, and you left a strong impression on me.

At that point of time, no one in the Opposition would dream about becoming government. In fact my party at that time was considered to be a permanent Opposition party while you were in the corporate world. As Rudyard Kipling put it, never the twain shall meet. We could never imagine that one day I would serve as your deputy at MITI.

Over the years I watched your career progress, and met you occasionally at social and business events.

To illustrate how open-minded and consultative Tengku Zafrul is, let me share with you a story.

In October 2020, when preparing for Budget 2021 as the Finance Minister of the previous government, Tengku Zafrul hosted a dinner at his house for me and two other Opposition colleagues to discuss candidly about our proposals. While there were a lot of animosities between Perikatan Nasional and Pakatan Harapan leaders, I was very impressed with his friendliness and readiness to engage, listen, and consult.

I was sworn in as Deputy Minister of MITI on 10 December 2022, and almost three years since that day, I am very grateful that I have served under your leadership.

I have observed politics long enough to know that not every minister is as assured and confident as you in accommodating different views, especially those from your very opinionated deputy. Thank you for that.

You are always very open to accepting suggestions and views, and you care to share the rationale if you declined some of my proposals.

Together with Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim, you have put Malaysia on the world map. In some months, I believe that you just came back to change luggage and head to the airport again right after. Our nation is now seen in a positive light by global partners, thanks to your contribution.

Your deep personal friendships with political and business leaders in the United States, Europe, the GCC countries, Indonesia, Singapore etc, are just unparalleled. I hope you can continue to play a role in helping Malaysia to maintain those crucial close ties which are vital especially in the currently chaotic world.

Your dynamic leadership of the ASEAN Economic Pillar in 2025, especially in rallying the ASEAN ministers to respond to President Donald Trump’s Liberation Day tariffs, as well as leading Malaysia’s negotiations with the US officials, deserves recognition and appreciation.

For those who have attended meetings chaired by Tengku Zafrul, you would agree with me that he is witty yet respectful, even when he asks very sharp questions.

Your wealth of knowledge and experience, especially as a former bank CEO and former finance minister, has contributed to your ability to accurately grasp complex issues very quickly, making you such an “easy” minister for officers to brief. And, I often heard praises for you from business people after they met you.

In the years to come, when Malaysians talk about MITI, they will refer to the New Industrial Master Plan 2030, the Independent Steel Committee and the Steel Industry Roadmap, the National Semiconductor Strategy, the new thinking in the automotive industry etc. These are the achievements during the Zafrul years.

On behalf of MITI and Malaysia, I thank you for your service to the nation, and like everyone here in the hall, I cherish the opportunity to work alongside you, and we are honoured to be part of MITI’s Zafrul years.

Walaupun berpisah esok, saya rasa kita akan tetap bertemu dengan Tengku Zafrul, dalam kapasiti yang lain pula.

Sama ada melalui tugas barunya selepas ini atau tugas lain selepas pilihan raya umum akan datang, saya yakin beliau akan terus memberi sumbangan kepada negara. I wish him well, and I do hope he will win in the next general election.

Izinkan saya mengakhiri ucapan ini dengan dua rangkap pantun:

Lonjakan kedua bina negara
Menteri MITI peneraju agenda
Khidmat bakti disambut gembira
Jasa baktimu disemat di dada

Pandu EV tanpa menyusah
Menara MITI tujuan hala
Walau kita akan berpisah
Panjang umur bertemu semula

Sekian, terima kasih.

Ini adalah ucapan saya di Perhimpunan Bulanan MITI hari ini yang juga perhimpunan terakhir buat Menteri Tengku Zafrul Aziz.