PKR polls: Rafizi tells supporters to vote for Nurul Izzah, cites party survival

Summary

• PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli urges his supporters to support his opponent, Nurul Izzah Anwar.

• He says the party has no other choice as Nurul Izzah is party president Anwar Ibrahim's daughter, and her losing party election would be perceived as PKR rejecting Anwar.

• Rafizi claims such an outcome would affect PKR’s chances in the next general election.

In a political harakiri act, incumbent PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli last night called on his supporters to vote for opponent Nurul Izzah Anwar in the upcoming party central leadership election.

Speaking at a ceramah in Kedah, he said PKR cannot afford to have Nurul Izzah lose the race as she is party president Anwar Ibrahim’s daughter.

Such an outcome would be bad optics for the party, especially when they go into the 16th general election.

"Let's say Nurul Izzah loses, what signal would it send to the rakyat? This is just an example.

"If she loses, it will send a message that PKR members reject Anwar. That is why Nurul Izzah must win. She has to.

"Because if she loses, we will go into the (next general) election in an unimaginable situation where we have to not only face the opposition but also political polemics both inside and outside the government.

"If Nurul Izzah loses, people would say Anwar has been rejected by his own party. So what choice do you have here?" he said.

The ceramah in Kedah was part of Rafizi's nationwide campaign tour called Jelajah Hiruk.

The economy minister is defending his deputy presidency against Nurul Izzah in the PKR central leadership election this May 23.

Nurul Izzah is a PKR vice-president, having been appointed to the position in 2022.

‘Unnecessary problem’

In his speech, Rafizi further said he does not want to see PKR going through all this trouble in its party election, "but suddenly end up losing badly in the general election".

He also blamed party leaders who pushed Nurul Izzah to contest the number two position, saying they had created an unnecessary problem in the party.

According to the Pandan MP, the situation was caused by instigators in the party who wanted division leaders aligned with him removed.

"The party was calm. But only because many division chiefs who supported the Ayuh Malaysia movement I founded won in the 2022 party election, some are 'lebih sudu dari kuah', suggesting they (division leaders) must be removed.

"They said the party must make sure 100 percent of the grassroots leaders are supporters of the president. But this issue has never arisen before.

"The party president had also said to the central leadership council and biropol (political bureau) that there should be no contest for the number one and two positions to maintain the balance. Everyone knows this," he added.

Nepotism

Touching on the issue of nepotism, Rafizi warned Nurul Izzah's supporters not to insult the intelligence of voters.

He said the rakyat are wise and can make their own evaluation.

"We can argue whether this is nepotism or not till kingdom come. But it doesn't matter.

"What matters is that the rakyat can assess and make their own judgment when the time comes for the election.

"I just want to advise those who try to defend Nurul Izzah's decision, do not make statements that can be perceived as insulting the rakyat's intelligence," Rafizi said.

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