Madani’s next move

Murray Hunter


Madani’s next move

“Anwar is not just a father to Nurul Izzah, but a father figure to all of you” -Saifuddin Nasution Ismail

May 25, 2025





Prime minister Anwar Ibrahim addressing the PKR congress in his keynote speech said he wants all party leaders and members to strengthen the party in preparation for the next general election. Anwar is well aware of the divisions the deputy president election has opened up publicly.

Anwar is now waiting for Rafizi Ramli to make good on his promise to resign as minister of economy as soon as possible. There are already opinion pieces in local news portals suggesting Rafizi should resign. After the result of the vote on Friday night Rafizi returned home to Kuala Lumpur, not expressing what his next move will be. He has expressed a will to return to private life. Rafizi believes the culture of PKR has moved away from desiring change and meritocracy.

Everyone wants Rafizi to go home now.

The PKR establishment has hammered Rafizi’s integrity over the last week. This is a lot for any individual to take, and its assumed Rafizi will resign as minister over the next few days.

After Rafizi resigns, there will be a vacancy in both the ministry and cabinet. Who is going to fill those positions? No prizes for guessing. If Nurul is qualified to be a consultant to the finance minister (her father), surely she is qualified to become the next minister of economy.

However, Nurul has said she doesn’t want power and doesn’t want a ministry. But, the nation needs a minister of economy and a cabinet replacement. Nurul will have to take those positions, whether she likes it or not. This will mean Nurul will have to be sworn into one of the vacancies that exist in the senate for this purpose.

Ministery of Economy staff waiting for a new minister?

Many PKR supporters who voted for Nurul will be happy to see her rewarded for her talent. Now Malaysia, can emulate Thailand, where the Thai prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, nicknamed Ung Ing, is accompanied everywhere with her father Thaksin Shinawatra, the former prime minister.

Thaksin and Ung Ing

Thais will tell you the nation is so lucky to have two prime ministers. Unfortunately, Malaysia can’t make the same claim, but at least Malaysia now has a father and daughter team to compete with Thailand (don’t forget North Korea, but that’s a brother and sister team).

Now an Anwar and Nurul team.

Thaksin would have loved to have been in Kuala Lumpur this week with his prime ministerial daughter at the ASEAN Congress. However, Thaksin is facing serious criminal charges at home, where unlike Malaysia, the court in Thailand wont return Thaksin his passport so he can travel to Malaysia for the ASEAN meeting.

Unlike Malaysia, Thai courts inpound passports of those facing criminal trials.

It looks like Anwar’s advisor Thaksin may have steered him up the garden path on this daughter business. Thaksin is under very heavy criticism for being a puppet master of the current daughter prime minister. There are also demonstrations outside the Malaysian Embassy in Bangkok protesting Thaksin’s advisory position to Anwar.

Not in the news: Prostestors outside Malaysian Embassy in Bangkok asking Anwar to sack Thaksin as his advisor.


Nepotism isn’t so bad. Everyone is doing it. So expect to see the economy minister accompanying the prime minister more.