Pakatan Harapan secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail may not be contesting for the PKR deputy presidency, Berita Harian reported yesterday.
Quoting a source, Saifuddin made the decision to allow PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar to challenge the incumbent, Rafizi Ramli.
A PKR leader has rubbished a news report claiming that Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, who is vying for the deputy presidency at the party polls, has been advised to drop out of the race.
“No such directive has been given to anyone, including Saifuddin,” the highly placed source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told FMT.
The source was responding to an article on Sin Chew Daily which also quoted a source as saying that Saifuddin had been advised to step aside and make way for Nurul Izzah Anwar.
The deputy president’s post is currently held by Rafizi Ramli. Rafizi has announced that he will be defending the post he was elected to after defeating Saifuddin with a landslide majority of 16,668 votes in 2022.
According to Sin Chew, however, Rafizi has yet to nominate himself to defend his post.
On Tuesday, FMT quoted another well-placed source within the party who said that Nurul Izzah’s candidacy was a “done deal”.
The former Permatang Pauh MP, who is the daughter of PKR president Anwar Ibrahim, has yet to confirm whether she will contest the post.
However, several PKR leaders, including the party’s youth chief Adam Adli and outspoken Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Karim, have backed Nurul Izzah for the role.
Yesterday, FMT quoted party leaders as saying that a showdown between Rafizi and Nurul Izzah for the second highest spot in PKR could leave the ruling party more fractured than fortified.
Source : FMT
Titiwangsa PKR chief Syed Badli Shah Syed Osman has now declared support for Nurul Izzah Anwar to contest the PKR deputy presidency, a day after mooting Saifuddin Nasution Ismail for the post.
Syed Badli today joined the other 12 heads of PKR divisions in the federal territories in backing Nurul Izzah, who has yet to decide whether or not to vie for Rafizi Ramli’s position.
“Following a series of engagements with grassroots, FT PKR is confident that Nurul Izzah is set to receive convincing support as the main figure to breathe new life and strengthen the party’s machinery ahead of the next general election.
“As the main mover of the ‘Ayuh Malaysia’ campaign, she played a major role in spurring the spirit of members across the country while serving as a peacemaker to unite PKR as one big family,” the division chiefs said in a statement.
Fahmi Fadzil, Azman Abidin and Afdlin Shauki – the heads of the Lembah Pantai, Bandar Tun Razak and Setiawangsa divisions – were among the leaders who signed the statement along with Syed Badli.
Fahmi is also PKR information chief and communications minister while Azman is a political secretary to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who is also the party’s president.
Yesterday, Syed Badli had urged Rafizi to make way for Saifuddin to take over as PKR deputy president in the coming central leadership elections.
He said speculation on Rafizi’s resignation and his decision to go on extended leave had caused unease among party members and even within the unity government.
Numerous top and divisional leaders have stated their support for Nurul Izzah to contest the deputy president’s post, while a handful have called for Saifuddin to vie for the position again.
Anwar declines questions on Nurul Izzah-Saifuddin Nasution rumours for deputy presidency
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim remained coy over the upcoming PKR elections and rumours circulating on the candidacy for the party’s top posts.
When asked about reports that Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail would make way for his daughter Nurul Izzah to contest the deputy presidency post, Anwar instead said the president’s post is still open.
“The president’s post is still open, I haven’t registered yet, it’s still open. I will register at a later date,” he told reporters after prayers at Surau Al-Iman in Putrajaya today.
Nurul Izzah had previously announced her intention to defend her vice-president post in the PKR elections to be held on May 23.
Nurul Izzah already has the backing of Johor and Selangor and earlier today, reports suggested that Saifuddin Nasution would step aside to make way for her.
Nurul Izzah, who lost her Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat in the 2022 general election, was subsequently appointed PKR vice-president.
She has not yet confirmed her candidacy for the deputy presidency in the upcoming elections.
Over two-thirds of PKR’s divisions support Nurul Izzah as deputy president, says Ramanan
Over two-thirds of PKR’s 222 divisions support Nurul Izzah Anwar’s candidacy for the party’s deputy president post for the 2025-2028 term, says PKR deputy information chief I, Datuk Seri R. Ramanan.
“To me, this represents the grassroots’ wishes. Based on what I’ve seen, more than 150 divisions, or two-thirds, have nominated her,” he said.
The Sungai Buloh MP said this was because Nurul Izzah was seen as someone with international influence and very high integrity, which would benefit the party.
“In terms of qualifications, she’s definitely qualified. Not only does she have vast political experience, but she also has a strong public image in Malaysia and is globally recognised. So in my view, she’s truly deserving.
No winner if Nurul Izzah, Rafizi clash for PKR No 2, says party insider
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.”
Nurul Izzah to make ‘best decision’ on vying for PKR No 2 post
PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar has vowed to make “the best decision” on contesting the party’s central leadership elections, amid calls for the former MP to run for the deputy presidency.
Nurul Izzah said she respected the views of the grassroots and leaders who had urged her to vie for the second-highest post in the party, which is currently held by Rafizi Ramli.
“PKR is at a crucial juncture. Therefore, every decision must consider not only the need to unite the party and strengthen the bonds among fellow comrades, but also to bring meaningful change to ensure that the party remains relevant.
“I will make the best decision possible to balance between consensus, friendship, change, and meaningful reforms for all members.
“My final decision will not be for the sake of any individual, but to build PKR’s future together,” she said in a Facebook post.
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