Reformasi PKR no more, it’s Anwar’s politics of nepotism and patronage ala Umno-style

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Reformasi PKR no more, it’s Anwar’s politics of nepotism and patronage ala Umno-style

KUALA LUMPUR, May 24, 2025: PKR presdident Anwar Ibrahim’s move to rid his party of Reformasi (Reformation) reformists has severely damaged the integrity of PKR.

The electronic social media is now flooded with all sorts of names degrading PKR. Among the few are:

> Parti Keluarga Rumah;

> Parti Keluarga Rakus;

> Parti Khianat Reformasi; and

> Parti Keluarga Rakyat.

It has become crystal clear to Malaysians that Anwar is no Reformasi leader, failing to deliver any significant reforms into his third year in office as prime minister.

Instead, he engineered a successful second attempt to remove the party loyalist and committed reformist Rafizi Ramli by pitting his daughter Nurul Izzah against the then incumbent No. 2.

Why did Anwar do that to a party loyalist who was a staunch Reformasi loyalist who helped built PKR’s foundation?

One plausible reason is that the “Abim and Umno DNA” in Anwar is too overwhelming for him to discard the politics of nepotism and patronage ala Umno-style.

So, Anwar had to remove the real Reformasi reformists from the party central leadership - they are a stumbling block or thorns to his political agenda.

In so doing, Anwar has kickstarted PKR's evolution into Umno 2.0 or some say Umno Baru 3.0.

 

And, now, Malaysians and Malaysia are governed by a family … with Anwar as prime minister and PKR president, Nurul as PKR deputy president and Dr Wan Azizah as PKR Adviser!

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The question: Do Malaysians really want such a dynastic/nepotism governance for their country.

Time will tell when the next general election (GE16) is held - and it is due in 2027.

No News Is Bad News reproduces below a Sarawakian senior journalist Francis Paul Siah’s take on Rafizi:

MY TAKE ON RAFIZI RAMLI TODAY

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This was my column piece about Rafizi Ramli nine years ago - on 13 March, 2018 in Malaysiakini. It’s true, I saw him as one of PKR’s brightest brains a decade ago. It beats me why the party leadership wants to get rid of him today.

Let's say I respect Rafizi as an "intelligent maverick" and I think he has a strong personal branding, not diluted by compromise. To me, that is one of his greatest assets.

Like many, I also think that Rafizi is more impressive and effective outside of formal government roles than when he’s actively serving in them. 

I believe we can expect him to be 'useful' in more ways than one as a voice outside of government. As an ordinary MP, Rafizi is able to present bolder ideas without fear of legislative failure. 

Heck, Rafizi is able to shine as bright as a thousand stars as an ordinary bloke and when he could roam free. That the man’s forte!

If he must give the father, mother and daughter hell in Parliament or outside the august House now and again, why not? I say, SOCK IT TO ‘EM!, if there are valid reasons to do so. – fs

Columns

Why I’m impressed with Rafizi Ramli

 

Francis Paul Siah

Published:  Mar 13, 2018 9:27 AM

Updated: 5:29 PM

COMMENT | I like Rafizi Ramli. I must say that I’m quite impressed with him and his work. He is a diligent and courageous person and really works hard as a parliamentarian.

He is also not your typical boring MP but one who regularly comes up with new ideas. And Rafizi does not only talk. He is a doer. He dares to implement his ideas and set his plans in motion.

Lest Rafizi’s detractors and political enemies think that I’m heaping praises on a friend, let me state here that I do not know the young Pandan MP personally. I have not even met him.

I was actually invited by a PKR friend to attend Rafizi’s Invoke event last Friday, but I could not make it. Otherwise, I would have seen Rafizi in action for the first time and possibly posed a question or two to him from the audience.

However, watching Rafizi from afar, I feel he certainly deserves the accolades from many who are appreciative of his dedication to duty but more importantly, his sincerity and honesty in living up to his pledge in serving the people.

Those who know the young MP well are saying that he is a man of honour and integrity. I suppose they are right.

 

I have been watching Rafizi closely since he announced the establishment of his “baby”, Invoke Malaysia, about two years ago.

Honestly, there are not many young politicians in our midst I would bother to take a second look at these days. At least, not in the same fashion as I would observe what French President Emmanuel Macron or Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau would say or do.

These two are of the younger set of leaders to watch on the world stage. They are powerful, vibrant and energetic personalities and certainly interesting to watch.

Rafizi had explained Invoke’s mission clearly – one of which is to ensure fair competition in the political process – and this was something new and exciting to many. In a nutshell, Invoke Malaysia is a big data, media and election machinery...