No winner if Nurul Izzah, Rafizi clash for PKR No 2, says party insider
Published on: Thursday, May 08, 2025
By: Minderjeet Kaur, FMT
Rafizi Ramli (right) has declared his intention to defend his deputy presidency in PKR while Nurul Izzah Anwar (left), the daughter of party president Anwar Ibrahim, has remained coy about whether she will mount a challenge. (Facebook pic)
PETALING JAYA: A showdown between Rafizi Ramli and Nurul Izzah Anwar for the second highest spot in PKR could leave the ruling party more fractured than fortified, party leaders say.
“There will be no real winner in this contest if it takes place,” said one senior party source.
“If Rafizi wins, some will say he no longer commands the full confidence of the party. If Nurul Izzah wins, critics will say it’s because of her father. If she loses, they’ll say not even the prime minister’s daughter could beat Rafizi.”
The leadership race has heated up ahead of today’s nominations, with Rafizi declaring his intention to defend the post of deputy president while speculation grows that Nurul Izzah – the daughter of PKR president and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim – may be pressured to challenge Rafizi after internal dissatisfaction and recent mishaps at the division-level elections.
It was reported that Rafizi, the economy minister, was present at his ministry’s office to carry out his duties as usual on Tuesday, effectively ending speculation about his resignation from the Cabinet following his recent leave of absence.
The source said that the leadership contest was initially expected to be a rematch between Rafizi and PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, but that a recent meeting between the two may have led to Saifuddin staying out of the race.
The source also said that the battle for the deputy president’s post had been seen as a contest between Rafizi and Saifuddin until “internal rumblings brought Nurul Izzah’s name to the surface”.
Rafizi defeated Saifuddin in a heated contest for the deputy president’s post during the 2022 party polls, where he campaigned on a platform of reform and internal accountability. The win solidified Rafizi’s role as a key figure in PKR’s reformist wing but also left lingering divisions within the party’s ranks.
A direct clash between Anwar’s daughter and one of his Cabinet ministers could pose a political dilemma for Anwar, who has long campaigned on party unity and reform.
Party nominations are set to open today and tomorrow, with internal leadership polls to follow on May 23.
Nurul Izzah entered politics after Anwar’s 1998 sacking as deputy prime minister and his subsequent jailing, which sparked the Reformasi movement and paved the way for the establishment of PKR.
Nurul Izzah previously said she would contest the PKR vice-presidency this year, a post to which she was appointed after sitting out the 2022 party polls.
However, recent mishaps during the division-level elections – ranging from technical glitches to allegations of mismanagement of votes – have fuelled speculation that factions within the party are unhappy with Rafizi’s leadership and are now urging Nurul Izzah to enter the fray.
Rafizi yesterday said that he was ready to step down from his party and Cabinet posts and focus on grassroots campaigning if he was not re-elected in the party polls.
Leaders such as Selangor PKR chief Amirudin Shari and Wanita PKR chief Fadhlina Sidek have called for Nurul Izzah to contest the deputy president’s post, and she has also received the backing of state divisions from Selangor, Pahang, Penang, Perak, Melaka, Johor, and Sarawak.
However, she has been coy about whether she will contest. Yesterday, she said she respected the views of the grassroots and leaders who had urged her to vie for the second-highest post in the party, adding that she would make the “the best decision”.
Another party leader said uncertainty over whether Nurul Izzah would contest did not reflect well on PKR.
“People are watching PKR. We’re the party in government now. We can’t afford for internal uncertainty to spill out in public and drag on,” the source close to the leadership said.
“It seems like an ad hoc move. No one expected Nurul Izzah’s name to be floated. But if she contests… it’s good to have competition.”
The source said that the leadership contest was initially expected to be a rematch between Rafizi and PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, but that a recent meeting between the two may have led to Saifuddin staying out of the race.
The source also said that the battle for the deputy president’s post had been seen as a contest between Rafizi and Saifuddin until “internal rumblings brought Nurul Izzah’s name to the surface”.
Rafizi defeated Saifuddin in a heated contest for the deputy president’s post during the 2022 party polls, where he campaigned on a platform of reform and internal accountability. The win solidified Rafizi’s role as a key figure in PKR’s reformist wing but also left lingering divisions within the party’s ranks.
A direct clash between Anwar’s daughter and one of his Cabinet ministers could pose a political dilemma for Anwar, who has long campaigned on party unity and reform.
Party nominations are set to open today and tomorrow, with internal leadership polls to follow on May 23.
Nurul Izzah entered politics after Anwar’s 1998 sacking as deputy prime minister and his subsequent jailing, which sparked the Reformasi movement and paved the way for the establishment of PKR.
Nurul Izzah previously said she would contest the PKR vice-presidency this year, a post to which she was appointed after sitting out the 2022 party polls.
However, recent mishaps during the division-level elections – ranging from technical glitches to allegations of mismanagement of votes – have fuelled speculation that factions within the party are unhappy with Rafizi’s leadership and are now urging Nurul Izzah to enter the fray.
Rafizi yesterday said that he was ready to step down from his party and Cabinet posts and focus on grassroots campaigning if he was not re-elected in the party polls.
Leaders such as Selangor PKR chief Amirudin Shari and Wanita PKR chief Fadhlina Sidek have called for Nurul Izzah to contest the deputy president’s post, and she has also received the backing of state divisions from Selangor, Pahang, Penang, Perak, Melaka, Johor, and Sarawak.
However, she has been coy about whether she will contest. Yesterday, she said she respected the views of the grassroots and leaders who had urged her to vie for the second-highest post in the party, adding that she would make the “the best decision”.
Another party leader said uncertainty over whether Nurul Izzah would contest did not reflect well on PKR.
“People are watching PKR. We’re the party in government now. We can’t afford for internal uncertainty to spill out in public and drag on,” the source close to the leadership said.
“It seems like an ad hoc move. No one expected Nurul Izzah’s name to be floated. But if she contests… it’s good to have competition.”
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