Saifuddin: PKR not shaken despite Rafizi, 8 MPs pushing for judicial RCI

Summary

• In response to 9 MPs’ call for RCI, Saifuddin says PKR accepts differing views and their move will not harm party, govt.

• This includes Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Karim’s claim that the 9 MPs’ RCI demand signals a loss of confidence in the prime minister, the PKR’s election director adds.

Former PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has given his assurance that concerns raised by nine PKR MPs over allegations linked to top judicial appointments will not negatively impact the party or the government.

The home minister said this was because PKR previously received even “harsher” criticisms than what Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli and eight party backbenchers brought forward yesterday.

“That’s the view they’ve expressed. I describe it as a party speaking in the context of the party. This is an open party. We’ve received even harsher views than that before,” he told reporters after attending the Intan Minister’s Conversation 2025 at the National Institute of Public Administration (Intan) in Kuala Lumpur today.

Yesterday, Rafizi, in calling for a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI), raised concerns that a new judicial appointment scandal is shaping up, in the same vein as the VK Lingam episode in the mid-2000s, which led to the eventual formation of the Judicial Appointment Commission (JAC) in 2009.

Rafizi and the PKR MPs, a majority who had contested the recent party polls as a part of his "Hiruk" team, also called on Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to face a Parliamentary Special Select Committee proceeding.

The former economy minister, however, denied that there was any attempt to accuse Anwar of interfering in top judicial appointments.

‘Ahlan wasahlan to all views’

Saifuddin reiterated that the party welcomes diverse opinions and differences in views.

“Alhamdulillah, PKR is an open party that embraces and accepts differing views – and that’s a view from the backbenchers in the government today.

“Others might see it as ‘oh what’s going on’, but for PKR, this is an open party that celebrates differing opinions and freedom to express views – ahlan wasahlan (welcome) – I thank them and appreciate their input,” the PKR election director said.

When asked about Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Karim’s claim that the nine lawmakers’ actions signalled a loss of confidence in Anwar, Saifuddin insisted that this too was simply an open view.

“We should embrace it,” he added.

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