In Malaysia, PKR’s Rafizi steps up poll campaign as Anwar’s daughter contests No 2 post
The entry of Nurul Izzah Anwar as a candidate for PKR’s deputy president in the party’s May 23 election has triggered nepotism claims
Acrimony deepened over the weekend inside Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s ruling party as his deputy, Rafizi Ramli, prepared to defend his No 2 post against Anwar’s daughter, Nurul Izzah, whose candidacy has spurred claims of nepotism.
Rafizi, who is economy minister and deputy president in the People’s Justice Party (PKR), has been on a cross-country campaign for the past two weeks warning of the risks of the party losing the next federal election – with Anwar’s clean reputation at risk of being dented by efforts to elevate Nurul Izzah.
The May 23 PKR polls have no bearing on Anwar’s hold on federal power. But they are an important marker of his grip on both the party and government with just over two years left of his term as prime minister.
On Sunday, Rafizi said he would not join the women’s and youth wing congresses scheduled to open on Thursday, after the party appeared to go against its protocol and snub him in favour of Nurul Izzah, sending her to launch PKR’s campaign for state polls in Sabah.
“There was no meeting, no official notice. Suddenly a poster came out saying Nurul Izzah Anwar and Amirudin Shari would launch the election machinery,” Rafizi said at a party campaign event in Perak state, also referring to the party’s vice-president and chief minister of Selangor state.
“We must have proper procedures. We must have decorum. If everyone acts as they please, how can we run the party properly?”
Nurul Izzah has not responded to Rafizi’s criticism. On Saturday, she urged the party to show unity to win over voters in state and federal elections.
“We want the people to see the PKR flag alongside [signs of] real impact in their lives,” she said in Sabah.
PKR has been dogged by allegations of widespread impropriety and cheating since April, when more than 1.1 million members cast their ballots to choose leaders at the branch and division levels nationwide.
Earlier this month, Rafizi took fours of day leave to investigate discrepancies in the divisional elections after many of his allies lost their posts.
While no wrongdoing was found, the party last week sacked 28 members – including three recently elected grass-roots leaders.
Nurul Izzah’s candidacy has raised the spectre of a new political dynasty in Malaysia, which critics say is a violation of the principles of Anwar’s Reformasi.
Launched in the late 1990s, Anwar’s reform movement was aimed at fighting against cronyism, corruption and nepotism. It was targeted, in particular, at two-time former leader Mahathir Mohamad, and the now-jailed Najib Razak – son of Malaysia’s second prime minister, Abdul Razak Hussein.
Anwar has not spoken publicly about the contest between Nurul Izzah and Rafizi, but critics say it echoes his previous manoeuvrings in Umno, his former party, in the early 1990s when he ousted potential challengers to shore up his position.
PKR has come under fire since Anwar was appointed as prime minister in 2022, including over his pick of corruption-tainted Umno President Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as deputy prime minister.
Anwar also approved a 1.1 billion ringgit (US$255.9 million) bailout of struggling oil and gas firm Sapura Energy, despite his earlier criticism of similar plans by past administrations.
Rafizi said last week: “I spent my younger years exposing corruption scandals, 14 cases altogether, because that is our main asset. It is no longer an asset but a burden”
The economy minister said he was ready to resign from the cabinet if he were to lose the deputy presidential race, as a “gesture of respect” for the PKR membership’s decision.
