Zafrul was to join PKR, be MP last year if not for Umno, claims Rafizi
Published: Nov 29, 2025 1:40 PM
Updated: 4:40 PM
Former PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli claimed Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz was slated to join the party and become an MP through a by-election last year.
According to him, this was part of a supposed plan that would ultimately help Nurul Izzah Anwar replace Amirudin Shari as the Selangor menteri besar.
However, Rafizi claimed, the idea faltered due to Umno’s fierce objection against PKR poaching their party members.
“From what I know, based on information that I received, the plan was to bring Zafrul into PKR around April 2024.
“And (PKR president) Anwar (Ibrahim) was supposed to announce this at the annual PKR convention in April 2024.
“However, the news (about Zafrul joining PKR) had gotten out before the announcement. Some people claimed their own team was behind the leak.
Investment, Trade, and Industry Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz
“So when Umno learned about this, they were upset. Because there was a strong objection from Umno, the announcement was cancelled,” said the Pandan MP on his latest podcast.
Rafizi claimed that the plan included triggering two by-elections to make way for Zafrul and Nurul Izzah to become an MP and Selangor assemblyperson, respectively.
Zafrul, who is a senator, is currently the investment, trade, and industry minister in Anwar’s cabinet. However, he would have to step down from the position this Dec 2 once his term as a Dewan Negara member expires.
According to Rafizi, if the plan had been successful, it would have helped Zafrul to save his position in the government, while he, in turn, was expected to help “melicinkan jalan” (pave the way) for Nurul Izzah to replace Amirudin.
“You can understand what I mean, right?” said the former economy minister.
While Zafrul had since been accepted into PKR despite Umno’s pushback, Rafizi was sceptical that the plan could work now due to a smaller time window.
This is because the Selangor state assembly is not required to fill a casual vacancy if it occurs within two years of its expiry in Sept 2028, he said.
Anwar’s relentless defence
Rafizi also claimed that Anwar was the biggest proponent of Zafrul’s entry into PKR.
“...he was the one who was ‘bermati-matian’ (relentlessly) defending the plan to bring Zafrul into PKR. He did not even inform us (initially), as we only learned about it when Umno objected.
“It was never discussed in meetings. And when we had a differing view (about it), he was upset.”
Meanwhile, during the podcast, Rafizi also took a jab at Nurul Izzah, who defeated him in the run for the PKR deputy president position earlier this year.
The MP said surveys he carried out from time to time showed that public perception of the “Puteri Reformasi” (Princess of Reformation) has changed since she contested in the party election.
“So when Umno learned about this, they were upset. Because there was a strong objection from Umno, the announcement was cancelled,” said the Pandan MP on his latest podcast.
Rafizi claimed that the plan included triggering two by-elections to make way for Zafrul and Nurul Izzah to become an MP and Selangor assemblyperson, respectively.
Zafrul, who is a senator, is currently the investment, trade, and industry minister in Anwar’s cabinet. However, he would have to step down from the position this Dec 2 once his term as a Dewan Negara member expires.
According to Rafizi, if the plan had been successful, it would have helped Zafrul to save his position in the government, while he, in turn, was expected to help “melicinkan jalan” (pave the way) for Nurul Izzah to replace Amirudin.
“You can understand what I mean, right?” said the former economy minister.
While Zafrul had since been accepted into PKR despite Umno’s pushback, Rafizi was sceptical that the plan could work now due to a smaller time window.
This is because the Selangor state assembly is not required to fill a casual vacancy if it occurs within two years of its expiry in Sept 2028, he said.
Anwar’s relentless defence
Rafizi also claimed that Anwar was the biggest proponent of Zafrul’s entry into PKR.
“...he was the one who was ‘bermati-matian’ (relentlessly) defending the plan to bring Zafrul into PKR. He did not even inform us (initially), as we only learned about it when Umno objected.
“It was never discussed in meetings. And when we had a differing view (about it), he was upset.”
Meanwhile, during the podcast, Rafizi also took a jab at Nurul Izzah, who defeated him in the run for the PKR deputy president position earlier this year.
The MP said surveys he carried out from time to time showed that public perception of the “Puteri Reformasi” (Princess of Reformation) has changed since she contested in the party election.
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