‘Rebuking a friend is harder’: Rafizi defends critique of Anwar and judiciary, says true test of leader is in speaking out

‘Rebuking a friend is harder’: Rafizi defends critique of Anwar and judiciary, says true test of leader is in speaking out



Rafizi Ramli leading PKR MPs in a press conference critical of the government. — Picture by Choo Choy May.

Tuesday, 22 Jul 2025 10:00 AM MYT


KUALA LUMPUR, July 22 — Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli has defended his recent criticisms of the government and the judiciary, stressing that holding one’s own party accountable is a greater test of leadership than confronting political opponents.

Rafizi said he faced discomfort from PKR leaders, including a memo by party secretary-general Fuziah Salleh suggesting that questioning the judiciary implies a loss of confidence in the prime minister — who is also PKR president, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.


“To me, the true test of a leader is not how loudly he confronts his opponents. The real test lies in the consistency and courage to speak out against one’s own party and government.”

“Because rebuking a friend is far harder than criticising an enemy,” the former PKR deputy president said on Facebook.


Rafizi drew parallels between his time in Cabinet and PAS’s participation in the Perikatan Nasional government under Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.



He cited the decision to increase annual lottery draws from eight to 22 as an example where the Islamist party remained in government despite public backlash.

“Ultimately, ministers are bound by the final decision of the PM or the Cabinet as a whole,” he said.


“Here’s the difference between me and PAS: although I was asked to remain in Cabinet, when I felt I was no longer aligned or my views weren’t being considered by the prime minister, I resigned.”

Rafizi recently resigned as economy minister after losing his PKR deputy president post to Nurul Izzah Anwar.

He has since become one of the biggest critics of the Anwar administration, saying he no longer needs to hold back as a backbencher.

Last week, Rafizi led several PKR MPs to remind the government that the need to strengthen the judicial appointment process continues, despite the finalised top judicial appointments.

They said the recent leadership crisis in the judiciary must not recur, and called for the immediate appointment of judges to fill 31 vacancies to avoid disruptions in judicial administration.