LETTER | In an interview with Malaysiakini, PKR vice-president Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad named five PKR top leaders as “prime ministerial materials” who could succeed Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to lead the country.

The list includes PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli, vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar, secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, Nik Nazmi, and vice-president Amirudin Shari.

Although some of these leaders have the potential to be the prime minister, there are still hurdles awaiting them.

All the previous prime ministers, except for Muhyiddin Yassin and Ismail Sabri Yaakob who snatched the position through backdoor means, have strong charisma and numerous political experiences.

All of them had been slowly climbing up the hierarchy first in their parties, then in the state assemblies, Parliament, and finally cabinet.

In terms of elections, some of them (like Dr Mahathir Mohamad) had been warlords in a particular constituency while some of them (like Anwar) had rugged personalities that could attract voters even in the constituencies considered dangerous for their parties.

Rafizi is now in quite a good spot due to his performance as the economy minister and his second-highest position in PKR.

He has also won the Pandan parliamentary seat two times, both with great majority. Though he cannot be considered a warlord yet, his outspoken character may put him in good stead to spread his influence.

The question before Rafizi is does Anwar want him to be his successor? Anwar would leave a long-lasting legacy in PKR when he retires. It is logical to assume that he would want his successor to continue leading the party with a similar leadership style.

In the current political scenario, Rafizi would have engaged in an intense tug-of-war with Umno over policy decisions, while Anwar chose to strategically compromise for the sake of stability. Their styles are just different.

As a politician raised by Mahathir, Anwar would put Rafizi in a difficult position through his hidden hands from behind the scenes. The possibility of Anwar choosing Rafizi as his successor would be lower compared to some others on the list.

Familial advantage

Born in a political family, Nurul Izzah has the advantage of being Anwar’s daughter.

However, her path is tough as she is a woman. Malaysia has not come out from the “Malay, male, Muslim” mindset in the choice of prime minister candidates.

In addition, PKR grassroots would have higher expectations of her compared to the others on the list due to her title as Puteri Reformasi. They would expect her to present even better leadership qualities than her father.

From another perspective, losing the traditional stronghold of Anwar’s family - Permatang Pauh - in the 15th general election also shed a bad light on her capability.

For Saifuddin, the path is even tougher. His electoral performance has not been satisfactory since 2013, and he is now drowning in tremendous controversies over his policies as the home minister.

His only advantage - being an Anwar loyalist - would have already been covered by Nurul Izzah’s family ties. He just does not have the unique selling point that would trigger Anwar to pick him as the next prime minister candidate.

On the other hand, Nik Nazmi and Amirudin have not gathered enough political capital to join the race for the top post. They need more time to show their qualities.

PKR is in quite a dire state for nurturing future leaders as talks of limiting the prime minister’s term have been ongoing since the coalition government was formed. If this proposal becomes a reality, then Anwar would need to foster someone to continue his legacy.

However, he does not have a choice as of now.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.