Days after being embroiled in the submarine cable cabotage policy issue, Datuk Dr Rais Hussin Mohamed Ariff has resigned as chairman of the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC).
The Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia supreme council member, however, said his decision to quit was made much earlier, and he had conveyed it to several ministers as early as August.
“I communicated my desire to resign to the Finance Minister (Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz) in mid-August.
“I reiterated the same to the new Communications and Multimedia Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa in early September.
“Tan Sri Annuar listened attentively and understood my desire to resign,” Rais said in a statement on Wednesday (Oct 6).
Rais was appointed MDEC chairman in June last year.
On Sept 30, Rais had tweeted an inappropriate remark against a minister over the cabotage policy.
Although the tweet did not specifically name the minister, it is believed to be related to Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong, who had a heated exchange in the Dewan Rakyat with DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng over the cabotage policy issue.
Following the tweet by Rais, several shipping groups came to the defence of Dr Wee.
In his resignation statement, Rais did not make any mention of the cabotage policy issue.
He said, however, that he never compromised his principles even if he had to make unpopular decisions.
“My parting words to my colleagues are the same: ‘Do the right thing always and stand by your right principles, no matter what,’” he said in a statement this afternoon.