Is yet another PKR split imminent?

Murray Hunter


Is yet another PKR split imminent?


Jul 12, 2025





An FMT report this morning (July 12) said that “Nineteen PKR divisions in Johor have called for the suspension of nine MPs from the party who pushed for a royal commission of inquiry (RCI) into judicial appointments and alleged interference in the judiciary”.

The report went on to say “The division chiefs said the MPs’ actions not only breached party discipline and ethics, but also cast a negative light on the prime minister’s leadership and opened the door to political manipulation by rivals”.

The report continued to say that the divisions are urging PKR secretary-general Fuziah Salleh to immediately suspend the memberships of all nine MPs involved in the calls for a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) into judicial appointments.

This is not the first time there has been a split in PKR. Back in 2020 Azmin Ali led a group of PKR MPs out of the Pakatan Harapan government to join with Bersatu and PAS to form a new government under Muhyiddin Yassin. Azmin Ali left PKR with 10 other MPs, wounding PKR very badly.

PKR won some 31 seats in GE15 in November 2022. If Rafizi and the nine MPs supporting him are suspended from the party, that will leave PKR with 22 MPs. Technically, PKR would have a smaller representation in parliament than UMNO, and the position of prime minister staying with Anwar Ibrahim would be at the courtesy of Ahmand Zahid Hamidi, the deputy prime minister and president of UMNO.

One would have to assume the news in FMT is factual and involved Johor PKR leader Hasan Abdul Karim, the MP for Pasir Gudang in Johor. Otherwise, Karim would be quick to deny the story with Fuziah Salleh.

If the story is correct, then the move is seen as an attempt to weaken Rafizi and his group, and deny them preselection in the coming general election. PKR is very short of winnable seats for people such as Nurul Izzah PKR deputy president, Saifuddin Nasution Ismail the home minister, and Fuziah Salleh PKR secretary general.

Anwar very strangely held a meeting with Barisan Nasional MPS last night, three days before he meets with his Pakatan Harapan MPs on Monday afternoon. This will come the day after Rafizi’s forum on judicial appointments on Sunday night.

We must go back to 2018, when there was a major botch up in Selangor to rid the Menteri Besar post then held by Abdul Khalid Ibrahim. PKR splits and sacking of members in positions in the past have been messy.

We will only know how intact PKR will remain after the next couple of days. If long and drawn out, we could see Anwar and Rafizi competing for media attention, just like Anwar and Tun Mahathir did during 1998 before Anwar was sacked by Tun Mahathir.

The move to suspend the PKR nine, former party deputy president Rafizi Ramli, who is Pandan MP; Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad (Setiawangsa); Rodziah Ismail (Ampang); Wong Chen (Subang); Zahir Hassan (Wangsa Maju); Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik (Balik Pulau); Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh (Ledang); S Kesavan (Sungai Siput) and Onn Abu Bakar (Batu Pahat).

Watch the media closely for stories of the growing number of PKR divisions calling for the PKR nine’s suspension.