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No News Is Bad News
Is Nurul still a Reformasi reformist or a supporter of her father (Anwar)'s politics of nepotism and patronage ala Umno-style?
PKR boot lickers dropping Reformasi for Anwar’s politics of nepotism and patronage ala Umno-style
KUALA LUMPUR, May 21, 2025: Prof Dr Tajuddin Rasdi has penned his take on what the PKR deputy presidential race is about on Friday.
While Tajuddin’s views are much respected and deserving, No News Is Bad News raises some doubts and questions over the “unnecessary” contest.
> THE contest is clearly engineered by PKR president Anwar Ibrahim whose credentials as a Reformasi reformist is today mocked by Malaysians for “zero reforms” in his third year in office;
> THIS is the second time Anwar is trying to rid incumbent deputy president Rafizi Ramli from the PKR central leadership. The first time was in 2022 when Anwar backed Saifuddin Nasution in the deputy presidential election and was humbled embarrassingly with grassroots handing him and Saifuddin a more than 16,000-vote majority loss;
> WHAT has the party loyalist and committed reformist Rafizi done to deserve such a treatment?
> ISN’T Anwar clearly more Umno than PKR today? Does any Malaysian voter deny that the “Abim and Umno DNA” in Anwar is too overwhelming for him to discard his preferred politics of nepotism and patronage ala Umno-style? The reformists in PKR, young and old, are therefore a stumbling block or thorns to Anwar governance;
> IF Nurul is still a truly Reformasi reformist, will she allow his father to use her to rid PKR of reformists led by Rafizi?
> SHOULD Nurul win, does anyone believe that she would dare defy her father (Anwar)’s politics of nepotism and patronage ala Umno-style? and
> RAFIZI has boldly suggested that candidacy for PKR elections be restricted to those who have been with the party for a minimum of five years. He said they should not resign from MIC and, six months later, be allowed to contest a parliamentary seat (in the general election) and subsequently be made a deputy minister. Former MIC leader (former Umno political lapdog) R Ramanan is vying for a vice-president seat. (See news report below)
Tajuddin is entitled to his views and what the Rafizi-Nurul contest means to him but No News Is Bad News begs to differ.
The contest is clearly between reformists and PKR members and leaders who boot licks Anwar for his political patronage.
No News Is Bad News reproduces below Tajuddin’s views as posted by Free Malaysian Today, a news report quoting Rafizi suggesting that candidacy for PKR elections be restricted to those who have been with the party for a minimum of five years and Singapore's Straits Times take on the PKR elections:
What the Rafizi-Nurul Izzah contest means to me
The face-off is not as bad as some make it out to be, but may signify changes to come.
In some ways, it is very difficult for a hardcore reformist like me to write this article, whether on behalf of PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli or appointed vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar.
For me, Nurul Izzah was the shining beacon of the Reformasi movement, alongside her mother, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, following Anwar Ibrahim’s incarceration.
In the first 10 years of Reformasi, Wan Azizah and Nurul Izzah were the only conscience and morality of a sick nation.
I came to know and eventually admire Rafizi in 2018 when he began campaigning from lorries until his voice became hoarse, an approach he continued to adopt until Barisan Nasional was toppled after 61 years in power.
Then, in 2022, I thought PKR was done for, but Rafizi again stepped up, returning from a sabbatical he took in 2018 to almost lead Pakatan Harapan to victory in the last general election.
Anwar also played his part, of course, touring the country at 70 for a chance to be at the helm.
Unfortunately the tide turned against Nurul Izzah when PAS, via fear mongering and fanning race and religious issues, wrestled Permatang Pauh away from her.
For me, the contest between Rafizi and Nurul Izzah is proof that PKR has two very strong future leaders of Malaysia.
However, when their candidacy was announced, pundits were quick to create several simplistic analyses and narratives.
One narrative painted a picture of PKR as a party being broken by a challenge featuring the member of a dynasty and an ambitious incumbent.
Another opined that Nurul Izzah was an Anwar proxy against Rafizi, who has come to be known for his management skills.
It is a clash of ideologies, one that pits Anwar’s old “Reformis Melayu” style against Rafizi’s corporate ideals.
A third narrative suggests that infighting between the leaders in PKR will probably be disastrous not only for the coalition but also the country.
Well, I wish to paint a very different picture. My picture is that of hope and anticipation that this contest will signal a new phase of change in Malaysia.
Firstly, if Rafizi and Nurul Izzah represent the future leaders of our country, I definitely do not think that either would ever play the race and religion card or resort to May 13 rhetoric.
I have never heard either one of them uttering such sentiments. They have both stayed true to the new politics and not adopted the practices of old, favoured by the likes of Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Umno Baru.
I do not think that either one of them will declare others as infidels or pray for misery to befall their fellow Muslims.
These two are the antithesis to the likes of Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh and PAS information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari and, therefore, there is hope for us Malaysians.
Secondly, a political party operating within the country’s democratic framework must itself uphold democratic principles.
If so, the battle between the two leaders is just an example of PKR being true to its ideals.
Thus, the party is better than one that postpones its election, better than another that has a gentlemen’s agreement to place leaders in positions without competition or a party that declares that the incumbents of its top two positions cannot be challenged.
For me, a party that dares to allow a competition for the deputy presidency despite its waning support shows an inner strength that dares to question and revive.
Thirdly, both Rafizi and Nurul Izzah will not be of “Umno DNA”.
Despite simplistic accusations of nepotism and a mocking of PKR as “Parti Keluarga Rakyat”, I believe both leaders have had enough of the Anwar-Mahathir saga in politics.
It would be a bonus for Malaysia that, come GE16 or at the very least GE17, we could actually move on from the Reformasi pages of our history.
Although Rafizi and Nurul Izzah are products of “Reformasi” politics, they have never shown themselves to be in complete agreement with Anwar’s template for reform. To me this is not a sign of disloyalty. Instead, it shows a maturity and courage to challenge the ways of old.
Fourth, the outcome of the battle may hint at the prospects of Nurul Izzah becoming Malaysia’s first female prime minister. I cannot think of any woman from Umno, Bersatu, PAS or even Amanah who can challenge her for that accolade.
I must admit that I am not a feminist and never have been one but I think we are more likely to see our first female prime minister even before the US sees its first woman president.
Fifth, to prevent that from happening, we may well see the Rafizi of old — the one who goes to the ground with his power point slides and statistical analyses.
Although it takes much, much more to be the prime minister in Malaysia, it is good that we have a potential leader who knows how to analyse and research voter patterns to ascertain what Malaysians want.
It is something both Barisan Nasional and Perikatan Nasional do not do, simply because they take it upon themselves to tell the public what they should want, and use race and religious issues to cover up corruption and inept management practices.
We know what Rafizi is about. Now, let’s see what Nurul Izzah has for her campaign tours.
So, that is what this Rafizi-Nurul Izzah contest means to me—a new future and a new hope.
To me, it does not matter who wins.
As the rock group Scorpions song goes, I am sensing now “the winds of change”, either way.
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.
Only members of 5 years or more should contest party polls, says Rafizi
The PKR deputy president says such a condition would improve party discipline and ensure loyalty.
PKR delegates with party president Anwar Ibrahim at PKR’s national congress in 2023. (Bernama pic)
PETALING JAYA: PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli has suggested that candidacy for PKR elections be restricted to those who have been with the party for a minimum of five years.
Rafizi, who will be defending his deputy presidency this weekend, said such a condition would improve party discipline and ensure loyalty.
He said the current system allowed newcomers to jump straight into leadership roles, sometimes with the approval of the party president.
“Sometimes, party members who haven’t even been with us for a year are allowed to contest.
“I’m asking for this to be scrapped entirely,” he told the crowd on the campaign trail last night.
Also present were PKR vice-presidents Aminuddin Harun and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.
Rafizi said members who wanted positions in the party should “start from the bottom”.
“They should not resign from MIC and, six months later, be allowed to contest a parliamentary seat (in the general election) and subsequently be made a deputy minister,” he said in a veiled swipe at R Ramanan, who is vying for the vice-presidency.
“If they are truly loyal and capable, the party will promote them the right way,” he added.
Ramanan, a former MIC treasurer-general, joined PKR in 2020 after quitting the Indian-based party in 2014.
The Sungai Buloh MP, who is the deputy entrepreneur development and cooperatives minister, has publicly endorsed Rafizi’s competitor, Nurul Izzah Anwar, for the deputy presidency.
Two PKR leaders woo grassroots on nationwide tours amid power struggle in Malaysia’s ruling party
Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli and PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar have embarked on separate nationwide tours to whip up grassroots support.PHOTO: HAZLIN HASSAN, BERNAMA
UPDATED May 20, 2025, 12:21 AM
IPOH, Malaysia - Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) has chosen Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to continue as party president, but the heart of the battle for Malaysia’s lead ruling party lies in how the rank and file view its reform agenda, and the compromises made to hold together a disparate coalition of strange bedfellows.
In the lead-up to PKR’s May 23 internal elections, its two prominent leaders, Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli and party vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar, have embarked on separate nationwide tours to whip up grassroots support and shape the party’s future leadership.
Datuk Seri Rafizi, 47, is defending his position as PKR deputy president through his Jelajah Hiruk (Noisy Tour), engaging with party members at nine locations across Malaysia, including Sabah and Sarawak. He is using the word “hiruk” as the short form for “hidupkan idealisme reformasi dalam ujian kuasa” in the Malay language, which means “reviving the idealism of reform while in power”.
Mr Rafizi hopes to fire up party members to return to PKR’s reform credentials, amid criticisms that it has abandoned many of its reform promises.
“This contest is about preserving the soul of the party and making sure that whatever is the outcome, I think I advocate taking a much longer view about the party’s survival,” Mr Rafizi told reporters after his rally in Ipoh, Perak, on May 18.
From Ipoh to Seremban, and on to Kuching and Kota Kinabalu, Mr Rafizi told party members to return to PKR’s core values.
Holding separate grassroots meetings, Ms Nurul Izzah, 44, is trying to stage a comeback with her nationwide Damai Tour (Peace Tour) covering seven locations in Peninsular and East Malaysia, as a challenger to the deputy president’s post. She is currently one of seven PKR vice-presidents and, until recently, co-chaired a secretariat that advises the finance minister, a position currently held by her father, Datuk Seri Anwar.
Her surprise bid for the party’s No. 2 post came amid tensions between Mr Anwar and Mr Rafizi.
“We don’t have time to fight amongst ourselves, we have to fight those who want to destroy our country and fight about race issues,” Ms Nurul Izzah said at a campaign stop in the capital Kuala Lumpur on May 15, to loud cheers from the crowds.
She is seen as having an edge to win the post, with tacit support from her father and open support from over half of the 222 party cabang (division) leaders.
“Both candidates have their strengths, and while the outcome remains difficult to predict, recent momentum appears to favour Nurul Izzah at the grassroots level,” Dr Mazlan Ali, a senior lecturer at the Razak Faculty of Technology and Informatics at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, told The Straits Times.
The battle will shape the trajectory of PKR, the lead party in Malaysia’s multi-coalition government. Mr Anwar, 77, will serve his third and final term as PKR president between 2025 and 2028, when Malaysia’s next general election is due to take place.
PKR has long struggled with internal turbulence caused by deep-seated factionalism and power tussles.
PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli and his supporters at his national roadshow in Ipoh, Perak, on May 18.ST PHOTO: HAZLIN HASSAN
The party’s roots go back to 1998, soon after Mr Anwar’s sacking as deputy prime minister by then Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.
PKR launched itself as a reform party, with Ms Nurul Izzah its Puteri Reformasi (Reform Princess). It was united in the early years by standing up against Tun Dr Mahathir, who was trying to stamp out the rebellion started by Mr Anwar.
But that unity has since frayed under the weight of ambition and relentless contest for influence, with the party – in alliance with others – winning federal power in both the 2018 and 2022 general elections.
In the ongoing campaign, Mr Rafizi has taken an aggressive approach as the underdog in the contest for deputy presidency. His recent podcast appearance on May 10 garnered 287,000 views on Facebook, reflecting significant public interest.
Dr Mazlan said: “Between the two, Rafizi has taken a more aggressive approach... openly criticising the PKR leadership and questioning the party’s electoral process, which he alleges is flawed.”
However, Mr Rafizi’s confrontational style has unsettled some within the party, who feel he is exposing internal weaknesses, said Dr Mazlan.
In contrast, Ms Nurul Izzah is seen to be attempting to convey a calmer, more measured tone, rallying party grassroots to work together to bolster the party.
Retiree Ho Khek Woon, who is not a party member but attended the gathering in Kuala Lumpur on May 15, praised her oratory skills and noted that she made no personal attacks.
Ms Nurul Izzah Anwar taking selfies with PKR grassroots during her national roadshow.ST PHOTO: HAZLIN HASSAN
“She is able to sway the emotions of the audience. I believe she will make a good leader and in the future, she will make a good prime minister,” he told ST.
But a party insider, who declined to be named, aligns with Mr Rafizi’s expressed concerns, saying: “If she wins, nepotism and cronyism that we used to fight against in the past will stick and haunt us forever.”
PKR has had only two presidents since its formation: Datuk Seri Wan Azizah and her spouse, Mr Anwar; and soon, their daughter Nurul Izzah will be positioned in line to be its third president, should she win the deputy president’s post in the coming party polls.
Mr Rafizi had shocked the party on May 18 by deciding not to officiate the opening ceremony of the national congress of its youth and women’s wings to be held on May 22, saying he made this decision as he was not invited to launch PKR’s election machinery on May 17 in Sabah ahead of the state elections. That event was instead launched by Ms Nurul Izzah.
Mr Rafizi told reporters at his Ipoh rally: “Certain lines have been crossed in the party... I am still the deputy president, I am still the election director, and it shouldn’t have happened that you openly sideline the sitting deputy president and election director just for the sake of campaigning, and using the party machinery.
“The moment you cross certain lines, then you are setting a very dangerous precedent.”
Supporters of Mr Rafizi have another major complaint: They are unhappy with the outcome of the party’s divisional polls in April, where several of his key allies lost.
“Many of the grassroots don’t trust the system. Those who lost were mostly from Rafizi’s team. For us, the reform agenda is still alive. For the other side, because of power, reform is dead,” one party member who travelled from southern Negeri Sembilan state to attend Mr Rafizi’s Ipoh rally told ST.
At the Ipoh rally, Mr Khomol Nirmol, a member of the party’s youth council in the Jempol division in Negeri Sembilan, told ST: “Rafizi has a solid track record as economy minister and remains committed to the reform agenda. He still enjoys widespread support.”
Others see Mr Rafizi being defeated in the imminent party polls. Said Asian Studies Professor James Chin of Tasmania University: “At the present moment, all signs are that Anwar is supporting Nurul, so she is likely to win.”
· Hazlin Hassan is Malaysia correspondent at The Straits Times.
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