Malaysian prime minister’s own political party is in collapse

Murray Hunter


Malaysian prime minister’s own political party is in collapse


Jul 04, 2025



Anwar Ibrahim with party spokesman Fahmi Fadzil on the right.


While Malaysian prime minister Anwar Ibrahim is on an official visit to Italy, Spain and Brazil to attended the BRICS summit, his own Peoples’ Justice Party (PKR) is in rapid collapse at home.

News is emerging from chat groups and pundits there are mass branch resignations of members across more than 200 branches nationwide. Some branches just don’t exist anymore.

The party vote for deputy president, where Nurul Izzah Anwar, Anwar Ibrahim’s daughter challenged incumbent Rafizi Ramli, who was minister of economy until he resigned a few weeks ago showed that some 16,000 members out of 30,000 eligible, did not even bother to vote in this nationally publicized dual. This just indicates the level of apathy within PKR itself, with such an important event for the future of the party.

PKR has gradually been losing electoral support since 2013. In the 2014 general election PKR received 20.39 percent of the national aggregate vote, and in 2022 PKR only received 15.72 percent of the vote. Before the November 2022 general election Pakatan Harapan, the coalition PKR heads was not expected to form the government. However, in an umbrella coalition stitched together and approved by the former king Sultan Abdullah, Anwar became the prime minister.

This represented the crescendo of 27 years of struggle for Anwar to become prime minister as a reformer, who would dramatically change the country. Many even heralded the event as a new ‘Merdeka’ or independence for the nation.

However, very quickly people became dismayed when Anwar appointed Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who was facing criminal charges at the time as deputy prime minister. Then, many political cronies were given seats on the boards of government linked companies (GLCs) against PKR policy, leading to much dismay in the party. Anwar supporters would say that he had little choice because he needed to ‘give in’ due to being in coalition with UMNO.

The next shock to PKR supporters was the reduction in sentence of former prime minister Najib Razak’s prison term from 12 years to 6 years, and a reduction of his fine from RM 210 million to RM 55 million. PKR campaigned very heavily against corruption and saw that the ‘chief kleptocrat’ was being given favouritism in the Pardons Board. There was a clear message here. Corruption is OK for the elite.

Over the last couple of months there has been a distinct fall in trust for Anwar. Its not just the failure to end institutional race favouritism, inaction of the rising cost of living, failure to stem corruption, the rising cost of goods, decline of freedom of speech, failure to initiate law reform and repeal draconian legislation, and U-turns in policy. It’s the nature and style of leadership of Anwar that is putting people off.

This is not what most PKR members had worked hard over many years for.

The once charismatic leader who delivered inspiring speeches that made him a political hero have just gone and been replaced with arrogance, detachment, and empathy lacking approaches to government. Anwar’s hypocrisy can’t be hidden as its not just about one or two cases anymore. Anwar’s hypocrisy is seen almost across the board. Those who see Anwar speak in person just see a tired and defeated looking man.

The resignations of Rafizi Ramli as minister of economy and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad on May 28, after both lost their party positions at the PKR elections, sent a clear message that all was not well in the cabinet. Rafizi’s revelations since his cabinet departure confirm this. Both Anwar and his home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail both asked them publicly to reconsider their decisions, a sign they had made a strategic mistake in allowing both to become free agents not bound by cabinet solidarity.

Today, there are no reforms, no economic miracles, no renaissance in society, and greater racial division than ever. There is never ending news of political cronies receiving court discharges without acquittals (DNAA), putting the Attorney General and judiciary under suspicion of political influence. There is a mediocre cabinet, with no rising and aspiring stars that will carry on the philosophy of reform further after Anwar’s time as leader. There is a total leadership vacuum.

Even Anwar’s daughter Nurul Izzah Anwar, once deemed the ‘princess of reformasi’ is just another source of ridicule for the people. While the party is falling apart, Nurul is off talking about native rights in Sarawak, failing to address critical party issues. Anwar, the leader of ‘reformasi’, once leading massive street protests against the government is now getting protests in the streets asking him to resign.

Most PKR members now see the party has abandoned all the reforms it once championed. Most of the ‘Otai” or old timers have become quiet, except for a few loyalists who are finding it much harder to make apologies for Anwar. There is still an army of troll on social media trying to make PKR look good, but now there are too many academics, commentators and professionals who have just walked away.

PKR secretary general Fuziah Salleh is now regularly making public statements denying the party is not losing members, renascent of the Iraqi information minister Bagdad Bob, who kept denying Bagdad was being bombed during the Iraqi war. This indicates a party in quick decline.

The tipping point appears to be the new Sales and Service Tax (SST) increases and the failure of Anwar to extend the term of Chief Justice Tungku Maimum Tuan Mat. Later this month, Anwar’s application for immunity on the case Yusoff Rawther has made against Anwar Ibrahim for sexual assault will be heard. Should Anwar win the appeal for immunity, many will say he is trying to hide the truth.

Should Anwar lose the appeal, the affidavits will reveal alleged sexual misconduct by the now prime minister, which may make his position as PM untenable. Yusoff Rawther was recently acquitted for dealing in narcotics, leading to the question of not just who planted the drugs, but who gave the order to do so?

Anwar’s brand image is badly tarnished with citizens complaining on the king’s Facebook page about him. The wave of membership resignations appears to have a ‘domino’ effect, where the party is being drastically weakened to the point there will be few people out in the hustings to help in the next general election. No one expects PKR to be able to improve upon its 31 MPs next general election. Public statements by deputy president Nurul Izzah that PKR will win 13 seats in the coming Sabah state election just has a hollow ringing.

Its was almost certain that Anwar would run a full term as prime minister, having the opportunity during his tenure as prime minister to win the hearts and minds of voters. This is beginning to look it won’t be the case. Indian, Chinese, and professional Malay voters are deserting him very quickly. There is a great possibility PKR will be decimated and hold less than 20 seats in the next general election just two years time. PKR as a party will be little more than a memory of a glorious past.