'Fixing economy is more important than chasing popularity' - Rafizi

SHAH ALAM - Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli said he is not seeking popularity but instead wants to prioritise carrying out his duties as a minister first.

Cynically, he stated that if he wanted to gain popularity, he could do so through other platforms, such as reality shows.

The Pandan MP said his reason for joining politics is to stabilise the country, especially the economy.

"If I wanted to act and make decisions for the sake of popularity, I would just join Gegar Vanganza.

"I am a politician that is not attempting (to be popular); I don't want to be ‘tossed around’ and ‘toyed’ by the media or social media.

"My duties as a minister are to fix the current economic structure," he said during a press conference after the launch of the people’s income initiative (IPR) on Sunday.

Rafizi said this following the low score given to him by individuals in the recent research.

He added that he knows why the public is less ‘fond’ of the increase in goods prices, which has increased the people's burden.

This could not be solved within a short period of time, given the current economic conditions and the nation's debt.

He explained that to lower prices, the government must overcome the supply and demand issues involving many individuals.

"I understand that the public pays close attention to the rising price of goods, but this matter is not something that can be solved in one to three weeks.

"As the government and politicians, we will focus on solving long-term issues. "Therefore, politicians cannot expect individuals to thank us or feel the work we have done," he said.