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By Mihar Dias October 2025
After two decades of loyalty, bruises, and backroom battles, Rafizi Ramli has finally decided that enough is enough. The once-celebrated prodigy of PKR has publicly declared what many in the party have whispered for years — that his path and that of his long-time mentor, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, have diverged for good.
It’s a breakup that was always coming. Rafizi’s Facebook post reads like the last note in a strained marriage: polite, reflective, but unmistakably final. “Apabila nasi sudah jadi bubur,” he wrote — once the rice has turned to porridge, there’s no turning back. Sinar Daily
The dish is overcooked, and so, it seems, is the relationship between PKR’s once-dynamic duo.
For years, Rafizi was hailed as Anwar’s political brain — the strategist who could turn ideals into numbers and policies into narratives. He was the young reformist who gave PKR its intellectual edge.
But like many protégés who outgrow their mentors, Rafizi eventually realized that idealism and loyalty have expiry dates in Malaysian politics.
Anwar, ever the political survivor, thrives on control and charisma — the eternal “Reformasi” hero who believes his time has finally arrived.
Rafizi, on the other hand, has long been frustrated by the inertia and internal politics that plague PKR. His resignation from government, his refusal to play the “cash-for-grassroots” game, and now his call for a “cleaner” political future all point to a man disillusioned by what his movement has become. Sinar Daily
For the rest of PKR, this parting of ways is both symbolic and practical. Symbolic because Rafizi was once seen as the party’s future — the young technocrat who could modernize its machinery and keep it relevant beyond Anwar’s shadow.
Practical because his exit removes a thorn from the President’s side, at least for now. Anwar can breathe easier without Rafizi’s intellectual defiance poking at his government’s inconsistencies.
But let’s not romanticise Rafizi too much. His brand of politics, though idealistic, was not without arrogance. His “data-driven politics” often came across as tone-deaf to the very grassroots he claimed to represent.
His decision to resign from government was noble, but it also left his supporters wondering if he had the stomach for the messy realities of governance.
Still, Rafizi’s critique of PKR hits a nerve. The party that once roared with reform now mumbles bureaucratic platitudes.
The “new Malaysia” that Anwar promised looks increasingly like the old Malaysia with better speeches and more committees. And while Rafizi might be accused of sulking, his frustrations echo those of many Malaysians who once believed PKR would change the political culture, not adapt to it.
The timing of this split also matters. With public trust in politicians at an all-time low, PKR’s internal fractures risk reinforcing the image of a party that talks reform but practices survival. Rafizi walking away may not shake the government today, but it underscores the growing fatigue among those who once carried Anwar’s banner of hope.
So, what happens next? Rafizi says he’ll continue to share his views — which is politician-speak for “I’m not done yet.” Sinar Daily
Whether he starts a new movement or remains a critical voice on the sidelines, one thing is clear: he no longer believes the reform dream lives within PKR.
In the end, it’s a story as old as politics itself — the mentor who built the stage, and the student who refused to keep reading the same old script. The teacher still believes he can change the nation; the student has decided it’s time to change the conversation.
So, like all breakups, both will insist it’s for the best — even as they secretly wonder who will be remembered as the one who really moved on.
Mihar Dias (mihardias@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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