Explained: Why Rafizi & Nurul Izzah's Fight For The PKR Deputy Presidency Is Important
If you're wondering why this party election matters, here's everything you need to know about what's at stake.
Cover image via Parti Keadilan Rakyat's (PKR) internal elections are in full swing, and while Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim retained the presidency unopposed, all eyes are on the fiery battle for the deputy president's post
The battle for PKR's No. 2 position is a straight fight between incumbent Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli and party vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar.
Here's why this race is making headlines and, more importantly, why it could help shape the future of Malaysia's political landscape:
1. Why should you care?
Sure, you might not carry a PKR membership card, but when the party that could shape the next government is picking its leaders, it's worth paying attention, because their internal drama today could be your national policy tomorrow.
For instance, Rafizi, who is Economy Minister, took a seven-day leave to focus on party-related activities, which could be perceived as affecting his governmental duties amid rising tensions over US tariffs.
Anwar also faces nepotism allegations over Nurul Izzah's challenge for the deputy president's post against the incumbent.
Additionally, while PKR doesn't hold the most parliamentary seats, it has one of the most disproportionate ratios of cabinet ministers to seats in parliament.
PKR holds 31 parliamentary seats, fewer than DAP's 40, but the party has seven cabinet positions, apart from PM Anwar, who is also the Finance Minister.
In contrast, DAP, despite having a larger parliamentary presence within the unity government, holds only five ministerial roles. This disparity underscores how PKR's internal leadership dynamics can ripple into national governance.
If you need one more reason to care, it's this: PKR is the party of the current prime minister. If Anwar wants to hold on to the PM post come GE16, this Friday's party elections could serve as a proxy for the support he commands, not just as party president, but as a prime minister looking to extend his tenure.
Image via Suara Merdeka
2. How does PKR's internal election actually work?
Unlike the "one member, one vote" system PKR has used since 2010, this year, it has switched back to a delegate system for the top leadership positions.
This means around 30,000 delegates, elected from 222 party divisions nationwide, get to vote for key positions, including the president, deputy president, four vice-presidents, and 20 central leadership council members, reported The Malaysian Reserve.
Voting takes place both physically (around 10,000 delegates) and online (20,000 delegates) using the party's blockchain-powered ADIL app.
PKR's central leadership election is scheduled for 23 May, during the party's National Congress in Johor Bahru.
Image via Hari Anggara/Malay Mail
3. Who is Nurul Izzah Anwar, and what's her game plan?
Nurul Izzah, 44, is a familiar face in Malaysian politics, being the eldest daughter of the prime minister. Currently serving as one of the four PKR vice-presidents, she's been involved with the party since its inception in 1999 when she was just 18 years old.
Her campaign for the deputy presidency is all about:
– Winning GE16: She wants to lead PKR to victory in the next general election, focusing on strengthening ties with coalition partners and boosting voter confidence. This includes a major push to regain Malay support, particularly in rural areas, and revamping discussions with component parties, reported Berita Harian.
– Party Revamp & Unity: She's calling for discussions on a party revamp within the next 24 months to avoid losing momentum. She also aims to unite members and empower women and youth within PKR, reported Malay Mail.
– Grassroots Focus: Her strategy involves high-impact programmes and direct engagement with delegates, especially women and youth, aiming to reduce internal party tensions.
– No Cabinet Post: She has stated that even if she wins, she's not interested in a cabinet position, aiming to focus fully on party work, reported FMT.
Image via Utusan Malaysia
4. Nurul Izzah is still struggling with claims of nepotism
Despite her political pedigree, Nurul Izzah's journey hasn't been without its bumps:
– GE15 Loss: She lost her Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat in GE15 in 2022. The seat, located in Penang, had long been a family stronghold, held by both her parents and herself since 1982.
– Finance Ministry Stint: After her GE15 loss, Nurul Izzah was appointed as an economic adviser to her father in his capacity as Finance Minister, reported the Straits Times. The appointment drew public backlash and accusations of nepotism from political observers. Following a month of controversy, she stepped down from the role.
– Overseas Trip Backlash: Two years later, in November 2024, criticism of nepotism resurfaced when Nurul Izzah was seen accompanying her father on several official overseas trips. This sparked criticism and questions about her role and whether government funds were used for her travel, reported FMT.
However, it was later clarified that she was invited by the event organisers partly as a stand-in for her mother, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who was unable to attend. She attended the events in her capacity as the director of the Social and Economic Research Initiative (SERI), a think tank.
– Surprise Contender For PKR Deputy Presidency: Nurul Izzah's unexpected bid for the No. 2 post has reignited longstanding nepotism allegations. Although she wasn't initially expected to run, her candidacy received sudden momentum after receiving endorsements from party heavyweights aligned with her father.
While Anwar has not openly supported her candidacy, he did endorse Rafizi's bid to retain the post.
Defending herself, Nurul Izzah dismissed claims of nepotism, stressing that her candidacy stems from a democratic process, not a family appointment, and reiterated she has no interest in a cabinet position if elected, reported Malay Mail.
She also rejected the nepotism label as a longstanding tactic to undermine the Reformasi movement and discredit her family's contributions since the party's founding in 1999.
"It's a narrative that has been used to weaken our cause from the start," Nurul Izzah said.
Image via New Straits Times
5. What about incumbent deputy president Rafizi? What's his pitch?
Rafizi, 47, the current PKR deputy president and Economy Minister, is defending his post. He's known for his strategic thinking and data-driven approach.
His key messages are:
– Reviving Reformasi Ideals: He launched the "Hidupkan Idealisme Reformasi Dalam Ujian Kuasa (HIRUK)" tour to ensure PKR stays true to its reformist roots while in government and to reconnect with the grassroots, reported The Malaysian Reserve.
– Strengthening Party Direction: He aims to reinforce the party's direction and welcomes the contest as a healthy sign of democracy within PKR, reported Malay Mail.
– Acknowledging Challenges: Rafizi has been upfront about the party's challenges, previously highlighting declining Malay support for Pakatan Harapan and a drop in non-Malay support, stressing the need to address these issues, reported Malaysiakini.
Image via PKR
6. Rafizi's challenges: leave of absence, leadership style, and grassroots support within the party
Rafizi's path to re-election has also faced its share of turbulence:
– Leave of Absence: Rafizi took a leave of absence from 29 April to 5 May.
He said the move was to focus on addressing issues and allegations of irregularities arising from the party's divisional elections, particularly after several senior leaders aligned with him lost, reported Malay Mail.
The leave also sparked speculation about a possible cabinet resignation, but Rafizi clarified he had previously offered to step down from the party and cabinet to focus on GE16 campaigning. However, he was advised against it by Anwar and Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
His leave of absence drew criticism from the opposition, with a Perikatan Nasional MP condemning his disappearance amid a global trade war sparked by US tariffs, reported The Star.
– "Harsh" Leadership Perception: Some analysts suggest Rafizi's "straightforward, crude style of leadership" hasn't sat well with all grassroots members, potentially denting his support, reported CNA.
Image via Bernama via Sinar Harian
7. Why is the race for the deputy presidency such a big deal for GE16?
Anwar is currently serving his third and final term as PKR president, with his tenure set to end in 2028, coinciding with the 16th General Election. According to the party's constitution, a president may serve a maximum of three terms, reported, reported Malaysiakini.
This is significant because, aside from the 9th Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, every Malaysian prime minister has also held their party's presidency or chairmanship. If Anwar plans to remain as prime minister come GE16, securing strong internal support, essentially from the party president, will be crucial.
Interestingly, both Nurul Izzah and Rafizi have pitched their campaigns around strengthening the party ahead of these critical national polls, with a focus on regaining voter trust, especially among Malay and youth voters.
While the duo has different methods, their rivalry also serves as a proxy for how much support PKR members are willing to extend to Anwar beyond his tenure as prime minister.
Rafizi shares a similar perspective, albeit with a hint of cynicism. On 13 May, he 'encouraged' party members to vote for Nurul Izzah, saying, "If Nurul Izzah loses, that means Anwar is being rejected [by the party]", reported Malaysia Today.
Image via PKR
8. Rafizi may have already lost before the first ballot is cast
The odds have been stacked against Rafizi following the conclusion of PKR's divisional elections on 5 May.
According to Sin Chew Daily, several prominent leaders allied with Rafizi reportedly suffered surprise losses.
This fueled speculation about factional tensions and a potential weakening of Rafizi's camp.
Rafizi himself acknowledged raising concerns about irregularities in these divisional polls to the party's central leadership.
Adding to the intrigue, reports emerged that more than 150 out of PKR's 222 divisions had pledged support for Nurul Izzah's nomination for the deputy presidency, reported The Star.
Here are some of the prominent PKR members who have lost their divisional positions, as reported by Sin Chew Daily:
– Vice-President and Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad
– Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Adam Adli
– Deputy National Unity Minister Saravanan Saraswathy
– Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung
– Batu MP P Prabakaran
– Wangsa Maju MP Zahir Hassan
– Balik Pulau MP Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik
– Rawang assemblyman Chua Wei Kiat
Image via Nik Abdullah Nik Omar/Harian Metro
9. To debate or not to debate? That is the question.
Rafizi publicly called for a debate with Nurul Izzah, suggesting it would "cool the temperature" amid grassroots tensions and allow members to make more informed decisions, in line with PKR's reformist culture, reported Malay Mail.
However, Nurul Izzah declined the challenge. She stated her priority was to directly engage with delegates and grassroots through her existing programmes, rather than "politicking."
Image via Bernama via Berita Harian
10. Upholding tradition or silent protest? Rafizi will not officiate PKR's youth and women's congress.
Traditionally, the PKR deputy president officiates the party's youth and women's wing congress.
However, just days before the congresses, Rafizi said he would break from tradition this year, reported the New Straits Times.
According to Sinar Harian, PKR wanted Rafizi to officiate, but his decision is understood to be linked to the growing support within the youth and women's wings for his challenger, Nurul Izzah.
A confidential letter from Rafizi, in which he declined to officiate the party's youth and women's wing congresses, was leaked earlier this week.
Rafizi expressed dismay over the leak, noting that the letter was addressed only to party president Anwar and secretary-general Fuziah Salleh, reported Malaysiakini.
He criticised the leak as a breach of party ethics and highlighted that this was not the first such incident. He recalled a similar occurrence in 2019 when a letter he wrote to Anwar, warning about "cartels and shadowy characters" within the party, was also leaked.
Fuziah has since denied allegations that her office had leaked the letter, adding that PKR youth chief Adam Adli Abdul Halim also received the same letter.
Image via FMT
The results of the election for PKR central leadership are expected to be announced at 2.30pm this Saturday, 24 May
Ultimately, this contest marks a pivotal moment for the party, shaping not only its future leadership but also its strategic direction heading into the all-important GE16.
Who's your pick for the next PKR deputy president?
