PETALING JAYA: The fight for the deputy president post in the PKR election on May 13-18 will not split the party, unlike its 2018 election, since those vying for the post are aware of the danger of dividing the party.
National Council of Professors senior fellow Dr Jeniri Amir said Rafizi Ramli and Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution fully understand this.
He said both factions in the race for the No. 2 post will not want to see a repeat of the 2018 election, where there was a lot of bad blood between Rafizi and former deputy president Datuk Seri Azmin Ali.
“Rafizi has been out of politics, and on his return, he is well aware of the danger of dividing the party. Saifuddin, who is loyal to party president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the party, also does not want a fight that could be divisive,” he said, adding that the two were competing to prove who garnered more support.
Jeniri said while Rafizi and Saifuddin had their supporters, they were mindful that any bad blood spillled could end up destroying the party.
He added that it is also important for Anwar to remain neutral and not openly support either side as doing so could cause a problem in the party.
It is better to contest the No. 2 post in a clean and friendly manner.
“The loser must accept the results and not get his faction to walk out of the party as PKR could not afford to lose either one.”
Jeniri was referring to the PKR election in 2018, which saw the party split between Rafizi and Azmin.
The deputy president post has been vacant since Azmin was sacked from PKR for his part in the Sheraton Move that resulted in the fall of the Pakatan Harapan government.
Over 8,000 people are vying for some 2,000 posts at various levels at the party election.
Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research senior fellow Prof Azmi Hassan said this time, the fight for the No. 2 post will be different because both Rafizi and Saifuddin are Anwar supporters.
He said they will not want to do anything that would hurt the party.
“They are not challenging the president but vying for the deputy’s post, as they know sooner or later, Anwar will have to step down and allow the winner to replace him. Anwar would want them to continue his legacy, and it is likely he will call it a day after the 15th general election.”
He said the only difference is when it comes to strategy and the big picture, Rafizi has his own ideas and views.
Azmi said no matter what happens during the party polls, Rafizi and Saifuddin will remain as Anwar’s men.
“The deputy president post is critical to the survival of PKR because the winner will replace Anwar,” he said, adding that the fight for No. 2 post will likely be a friendly one.
