PERAK/NEGERI SEMBILAN: Candidates vying to be Number Two in Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) have spoken up against his anti-corruption agenda, but the closely-watched contest has taken an unusual turn with incumbent Rafizi Ramli urging support for his opponent, Anwar’s daughter Nurul Izzah Anwar.
Candidate nominations closed last Friday (May 9) for PKR’s leadership election later this month, with Nurul Izzah, 44, and Rafizi, 47, who is Malaysia’s Economy Minister, going head-to-head for the deputy presidency.
The victor will be the presumptive heir apparent to Anwar – who is uncontested for the post of PKR president – and will help lead the party in the country’s next general election, which is due by February 2028.
Over the weekend, Rafizi warned that the prime minister risks losing the next general election if his focus drifts from the anti-corruption crusade that got him elected.
“We are still far from being confident that we will continue into Anwar Ibrahim’s second term,” Rafizi, as quoted as saying by local news outlet Free Malaysia Today (FMT).
Speaking at a roadshow in Negeri Sembilan for his candidacy, Rafizi said the government’s “failure to address corruption and abuse of power” is a concern for the electorate.
He cited a party survey that saw an increase of 15 percentage points in voters who highlighted this as a “major problem”. From 16 per cent in November 2023, the figure rose to 31 per cent in April 2025.
“I have discussed and presented it to the PM and told him repeatedly – do not take the public’s perception of corruption lightly because that is our most important asset,” said Rafizi, whose campaign slogan is “Revive the ideals of reformasi in the test of power”.
At another event in Kedah on Monday, Rafizi made a surprise move by urging his supporters to back Nurul Izzah, framing the contest for PKR’s deputy presidency as a test of acceptance of Anwar.
“Let’s say Nurul Izzah loses, what signal would it send to the people? … If she loses, it will send a message that PKR members reject Anwar. That is why Nurul Izzah must win,” he said.
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