Did Shahrizat Resign?

On Monday 12 March, The Star online edition posted a newspiece titled “It is my own decision to give up post as minister, says Shahrizat” [here].

The MCA controlled daily reported that: Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil has announced she will relinquish her post as Women, Family and Community Development Minister when her senatorship ends on April 8.

However, the embattled Cabinet member will continue her duties as Wanita Umno chief.

“I want to do the right thing. And I feel that the right thing for me to do is to step down from my position as minister,” she told a packed press conference at the Taman Desa Waterpark here yesterday.

Sometimes I feel like telling Rafizi, Zuraida and Tony to stop harassing Shahrizat and her family. Not because I support the Shahrizats or sympathise with them but I think we should try to not force Salleh, Shahrizat and co to further humiliate themselves. Every time they open their mouths, they end up making a bigger fool of themselves and in the process dig a bigger grave.

But I can’t resist commenting on Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil’s resignation.

I would define resignation as leaving one’s position while the service contract in still in force. Resigning is quitting because you want to and not because you have to.

Shahrizat did not resign – on 8 April 2012; she has nothing to resign from. Her term as senator and minister has ended.

If she wanted to do the right thing, she should have resigned with immediate effect. Doing the right thing also means not abusing public money.