KUALA LUMPUR – Economy Minister Datuk Rafizi Ramli revealed that he had told Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail he was ready and willing to step down both as PKR deputy president of PKR and his ministerial role to focus on party grassroots ahead of the 2025 party elections.
However, both the prime minister and the PKR secretary-general insisted that he remain in the race for the deputy presidency and continue his leadership role in the cabinet.
In a statement issued after a week-long leave from his official duties, Rafizi explained that the leave allowed him the space to reflect on his responsibilities within the party and the government.
During this period, he met with both Anwar and Saifuddin to discuss his concerns regarding the party’s strategy heading into the 16th general election (GE16). He emphasised his desire to focus on grassroots campaigning for the upcoming election.
"I told them I was prepared not to contest the deputy presidency and not remain in cabinet so I could campaign freely and more aggressively on the ground," Rafizi said.
"The government’s current narrative feels too defensive. Our strength when we were in opposition was our offensive spirit – and I believe I can contribute more in that space."
He further explained that his position as a minister, with its inherent collective cabinet responsibility, had hindered his ability to speak freely and take bold political positions, which, in his view, were necessary to shape PKR’s narrative effectively.
Despite these concerns, he said both Anwar and Saifuddin believed there was a need for him to contest the number two role in the party.
Following this, Rafizi welcomed the growing interest in the upcoming central party elections and confirmed his support for a contested race for the deputy president position.
“I welcome the candidacies of Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nurul Izzah Anwar.
“From the beginning, I’ve maintained that anyone has the right to contest, and we should celebrate that in the spirit of democracy,” Rafizi said.
Nurul Izzah recently received growing support from within the party, including endorsements from several state and divisional leaders, ahead of the PKR central elections scheduled for May 22 to 24.
Among those backing her are Wanita PKR chief Fadhlina Sidek and PKR Youth chief Adam Adli.
He reiterated that regardless of the outcome, he remained committed to strengthening the party as it prepares for GE16 – either from within the cabinet or from the ground.
Meanwhile, Nurul Izzah, in a statement, said: “I will give (my) best decision that will balance unity, friendship ties, changes as well as meaningful reforms for all (party) members.”
Party election system: weaknesses and call for reform
Rafizi also addressed concerns over the party’s digital election system, following widespread dissatisfaction from members and more than 190 formal complaints across the country related to branch-level elections. The complaints focused on significant issues that had undermined trust in the election results.
Among the most pressing concerns were instances where branch leaders won, but their teams were swept by opposing candidates, leading to questions about the fairness of the election process.
In addition, technical problems such as glitches in vote counting and mismatches in results raised doubts about the integrity of the vote tabulation process.
Rafizi confirmed that an independent audit had been conducted and its findings were presented to the party’s Central Leadership Council (MPP). The MPP, while acknowledging the ongoing complaints, had endorsed the results of the branch elections, allowing the central-level election to proceed.
Despite the endorsement, Rafizi stressed the urgent need to address the systemic weaknesses that had led to the controversies.
He called on the Central Election Committee (JPP) to take immediate action to rectify these issues, particularly since the same system would be used for the national-level elections.
The weaknesses identified in the system included vote verification discrepancies – involving one-time passwords (OTPs), the eKYC records, and the final tallies recorded in the blockchain; code integrity risks – with the audit flagging vulnerabilities in the source code deployment process; lack deployment transparency, as well as other technical issues.
“The system needs fixing – not just to prevent future disputes, but because the public is watching. Any controversy, no matter how small, affects the credibility of our leadership,” Rafizi warned. – May 7, 2025
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