PKR’s D-day: Reformasi or Reformati?

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PKR’s D-day: Reformasi or Reformati?

KUALA LUMPUR, May 23, 2025: Tomorrow is PKR’s D-day with party grassroots electing their central leaders.

And the deputy presidential race between incumbent deputy president Rafizi Ramli’s Reformasi (Reformation) team and Nurul Izzah, a vice-president appointed by her father Anwar Ibrahim, is not really about the choice of the two contesting candidates.

It is really about Reformasi or Reformati (Dead Reformation).

Dumping Rafizi and his team of young reformists would mean the grassroots have changed their political tastes and values - supporting Anwar’s political agenda of nepotism and politics or patronage ala Umno-style.

The grassroots are thus left to decide the direction and fate of their party - PKR.

And Singapore’s Straits Times today described the contest as a “Keen battle for PKR’s No. 2 post rocks Anwar’s party (Nurul Izzah's bid to unseat incumbent Rafizi Ramli sparks murmurs of dynastic politics”.

This is Anwar’s second attempt to rid the party loyalist and reformist Rafizi and his team.

Anwar’s first attempt in 2022 ended politically embarrassing - he supported Saifuddin Nasution who lost in a more than 16,000-vote majority to Rafizi?

What will it be like tomorrow?

After the slap-in-the-face loss for Saifuddin and Anwar, the president appointed Saifuddin as PKR secretary-general.

Saifuddin went on to lose embarrassingly in the last general election in the Kulim-Bandar Baharu parliamentary seat

Anwar then appointed Saifuddin a Senator and a backdoor Home Minister! Is there no PKR MP capable or qualified to be appointed?

That’s politics of patronage for ala Anwar-PKR ala Umno!

Isn’t it a D-day for PKR - Reformasi or Reformati?

 Reformasi or Reformati? 

 

Party grassroots must remember that PKR does not belong to Anwar and his family.

They and their reformist leaders are the ones who toiled tirelessly and sacrificed to build or lay the party’s political foundation (Reformasi) to secure the support of multiracial Malaysians.

Remember that when deciding the future direction of PKR.

Opinion

PKR and the Thucydides Trap: Between Anwar's legacy and Rafizi's reformist surge

A looming leadership shift in PKR is stoking tensions between tradition and transformation, raising questions about the party’s future beyond Anwar Ibrahim

Updated 1 hour ago · Published on 22 May 2025 5:32PM

To avoid becoming ensnared in a cycle of factionalism, observers argue PKR must embrace a generational transition rooted in collaboration, not contestation - May 22, 2025

AS Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) edges toward a pivotal internal election, speculation surrounding the deputy presidency contest is drawing national attention.

The race is being cast as a symbolic clash between two visions for the party’s future; one being, the preservation of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s long-standing legacy, and, the other, a renewed push for the ideals of the Reformasi movement.

Political Analysts Mohd Azizi Jaeh and Muhammad Helmi Othman of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia have opined that while Nurul Izzah Anwar, the daughter of the Prime Minister, is widely seen as his political heir, the rising influence of Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli—known for his technocratic rigor and reformist stance—signals an undercurrent of transformation within the party.

Sinar Harian cited today that both analysts saying, the ideological and generational gulf between these two camps reflects more than just a leadership contest; it suggests what some political observers liken to a “Thucydides Trap” within PKR.

This term, originally rooted in international relations, refers to tensions that arise when a rising power threatens to displace an established one.

“In this context, Anwar’s entrenched leadership and his traditional circle is being challenged by Rafizi’s emergence as a force advocating for bold reform,” the political analysts argue.

Anwar, a veteran politician whose roots trace back to Islamic youth movements in the 1970s and a tenure in UMNO before founding PKR in 1999, has cultivated strong ties with religious institutions, political elites and global networks. His leadership style is defined by negotiation, pragmatism and a careful balancing act among Malaysia’s complex power structures.

Rafizi, by contrast, lacks such traditional political roots. Instead, he has built a following through data-driven advocacy, exposés on corruption scandals, and effective use of social media—traits that resonate strongly with Malaysia’s millennial and Gen Z voters.

Rafizi’s push for principled reform and his critique of elitist politics have energised the party’s grassroots base. His calls for transparency and anti-corruption stand in contrast to what he and his supporters see as PKR’s increasingly transactional politics under Anwar’s leadership.

While Rafizi and Nurul Izzah do not confront each other directly, the latter is widely perceived to represent Anwar’s camp in the contest for deputy president. Critics view her candidacy as part of a broader plan to ensure continuity and maintain Anwar’s influence beyond his tenure as party leader and prime minister.

"Whether this is Anwar’s final term or not, the pressure to preserve his legacy is evident," the analysts say. "His preference for gradual, controlled transition is clashing with Rafizi’s calls for immediate structural change."

The contest has exposed not just internal rifts but a deeper existential question for PKR: can the party reconcile its past with a future that demands reinvention?

While Anwar’s historical role in uniting diverse factions—Islamists, leftists, NGOs and ex-UMNO figures—cannot be understated, Rafizi’s confrontational and data-centric approach appeals to a public disillusioned with status-quo politics.

Both Nurul Izzah and Rafizi bring valuable credentials to PKR, the former famously defeated two political heavyweights in the Lembah Pantai constituency, while the latter played a key role in forming the Pakatan Harapan coalition, which in 2018 delivered Malaysia’s first regime change.

Yet the risks are real. Internal divisions, if mismanaged, could result in a repeat of past fissures, such as the 2020 departure of former deputy president Azmin Ali—an episode that cost the party dearly.

To avoid becoming ensnared in a cycle of factionalism, observers argue PKR must embrace a generational transition rooted in collaboration, not contestation.

“The challenge is not merely about who leads next, but whether PKR can transcend old modes of political rivalry and remain a relevant vehicle for reform,” the analysts conclude. “Both legacy and renewal must find a place in its evolving identity,” both Mohd Azizi Jaeh and Muhammad Helmi Othman opine. - May 22, 2025

The views put forward by political analysts Mohd Azizi Jaeh and Muhammad Helmi Othmanare their own. The Vibes.com in no way supports or denies such viewpoints.

PKR gears up for elections: 32,030 delegates to cast votes for 2025-2028 term

By NELSON BENJAMIN

Nation

Thursday, 22 May 2025

3:31 PM MYT

JOHOR BARU: A total of 32,030 delegates will be casting their votes on Friday (May 23) to elect 75 officer bearers for the 2025 - 2028 term, says PKR central election committee chairman Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa.

She said 9,029 delegates would cast their votes physically, while the remaining would vote online.

Dr Zahila said that 251 candidates were vying for 75 positions in the party elections, which would be held between 8am and 5pm.

“There are two voting centres in Johor and also in Sabah and Sarawak,” she said during a special media briefing here on Thursday (May 22).

She added that the delegates would vote to elect members of the Central Leadership Council (MPP), the Angkatan Muda Keadilan (AMK) Leadership Council and the Wanita Leadership Council.

Dr Zaliha said the nominations include 104 candidates for the MPP, 85 for the youth wing and 62 for the women’s wing.

When asked about the candidates' campaigning, she said they have issued warnings, including removing some campaign banners at the voting centres.

The party’s nomination process saw Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim returned unopposed as president, while the deputy president post would witness a straight fight between Nurul Izzah Anwar and incumbent Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli, who is also Minister of Economy.

Twelve individuals submitted their nominations for the vice-president posts, including four incumbents: Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad; Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Chang Lih Kang; Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun; and Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari.

In addition, the political secretary to Finance Minister Muhammad Kamil Abdul Munim was the sole candidate for the position of AMK chief, while the PKR Wanita chief post was a one-on-one clash between Fadhlina Sidek, who is also the Education Minister, and Ampang MP Rodziah Ismail.

The PKR National Congress, including the AMK and Wanita Congress, is scheduled from May 22 to 24. - The Star