Rina ready to step down if found unfit for office

KUALA LUMPUR: Rural Development Minister Datuk Seri Rina Harun is ready to step down if she is seen as unfit to carry out her task in the cabinet of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Rina, who is also the head of Srikandi Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, said her focus was on shouldering the responsibility entrusted to her.

“I accept any decision made. “As long as I am still in this position (rural development minister), I will continue to carry out the trust and responsibility given to me,” she said after the Tadika Kemas certificate presentation ceremony yesterday.

She was commenting on rumours about the prime minister’s meeting at the Perdana Leadership Foundation.

Rina and Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik were among those mentioned as facing the axe from the Pakatan Harapan cabinet.

Yesterday, Rina, who is former Puteri Umno executive council member, said she was not aware of any cabinet reshuffle.

She urged the media to get clarification from the prime minister regarding the cabinet meeting on Friday, which discussed social and national issues.

Rina, meanwhile, stressed her stand to continue improving the Rural Development Plan across the country, including getting get the views of rural communities, including in Sabah and Sarawak.

When asked about the 50 per cent deduction of the allocation for Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) in the 2019 Budget, which related to the ratification of the International Convention to Eliminate All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), Rina denied it.

“I ask Rembau member of parliament (Khairy Jamaluddin) to read the 2019 Budget book,” she said, adding that it was wrong to say that the allocation had decreased from RM3.5 billion to RM1.3 billion.

“Actually, the allocation for Mara in 2019 is RM3.7 billion.

“The RM1.3 billion is for the operation expenses only,” she said.