Race for No 2 in Anwar’s party: Rafizi and Nurul Izzah speak up against PM’s anti-graft moves
It will be a rejection of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim if his daughter Nurul Izzah loses the contest for the party’s deputy presidency, says incumbent Rafizi Ramli. His rival, meanwhile, has criticised the contract extension of Malaysia’s anti-corruption agency chief.
Malaysia’s Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli (left) and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s daughter Nurul Izzah Anwar (right) will go head-to-head in polls for the Number two position in Anwar’s Pakatan Rakyat. (Photos: CNA/Try Sutrisno Foo, Facebook/Nurul Izzah Anwar)
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.
Rafizi also blamed senior party leaders for pushing Nurul Izzah to contest, saying it had created an unnecessary issue driven by internal efforts to sideline division leaders aligned with him.
Nurul Izzah’s decision to contest has been dogged by allegations of nepotism – which she has rejected – and Rafizi cautioned her supporters against “insulting public intelligence” when defending her candidacy.
“We can argue whether this is nepotism or not till kingdom come, but it does not matter. What matters is that the people can assess and make their own judgment when the time comes for the election,” he was quoted as saying by Malay Mail.
Anwar and those loyal to him have played down the stakes of the race to be deputy president.
The PM said on Sunday that the PKR leadership poll on May 23 should be considered a “fight between loyal friends”.
AZAM BAKI’S EXTENSION “UNWELCOME”
Over the weekend, Nurul Izzah called the contract extension of Azam Baki, head of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, “unwelcome”.
Azam was appointed in 2020 under Malaysia’s previous government and his contract has been extended twice.
When Anwar’s coalition government was formed in December 2022, he had defended his decision not to replace Azam, saying that he wanted to break with the convention that a change of guard in the anti-graft agency was necessary whenever a new prime minister was appointed.
Azam’s contract extension was announced last Friday and his new one-year term began on Tuesday (May 13).
In an X post last Saturday, Nurul Izzah described it as an “unwelcome extension”.
She said the PKR needs to stand for reforms and added: “We ask brave and courageous civil servants and personalities to rise to the occasion.”
Rafizi, on the other hand, said he could not openly comment on the matter even if he personally disagreed with it.
“It would be going against ethics (as a Cabinet member) because the decision was made by the prime minister so I have to keep my mouth shut,” he said in his podcast on Saturday, as quoted by news outlet Free Malaysia Today.
CALLS FOR UNITY AND CONTINUED REFORMS
At her first official roadshow event in Perak on Saturday, Nurul Izzah called for grassroots empowerment and continued reform efforts within the party and government.
“I remember when I first contested in the general election, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was in prison. People in the villages came out, with some ‘makcik’ giving me RM5; some gave their gold rings,” she recalled, as quoted by The Star.
“So I remember the past sacrifices made by supporters and party members and we need to honour their legacy by strengthening party machinery and staying close to the people,” she added.
Known as the “Reformasi Princess” for her role in campaigning for her father’s release from prison 20 years ago, Nurul Izzah also said that PKR was born from the streets and its struggle has always been for justice and the people.
The party must remain relevant and show it can deliver what the people need, she said.
“These are the agents of change. That’s why some people say, ‘I want to vote for Keadilan, no other party is like it’,” she added.
