ALOR SETAR, May 13 — In a dramatic twist ahead of the 2025 PKR leadership elections, incumbent deputy president Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli has publicly urged his supporters to vote for his challenger, Nurul Izzah Anwar. Speaking during a campaign stop, Rafizi warned that her defeat would send a damaging signal that party members are rejecting Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s leadership, potentially weakening PKR ahead of the next general election.
Rafizi, who had previously agreed with party leaders to avoid contests for the top two positions, claimed internal pressure forced Nurul Izzah to run, creating unnecessary division. He cautioned against defending her candidacy with rhetoric that could appear dismissive of public sentiment about nepotism, urging party members to let voters make their own judgment.
“If she loses, it will be seen as a rejection of Anwar. We must avoid that,” he said. The contest between Rafizi and Nurul Izzah — both seen as central figures in PKR’s reformist roots — has sparked national interest. Party president Anwar has called the race a “fight between loyal friends”, while vice-president Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad described it as a “healthy family contest.”
The outcome is expected to have major implications for PKR’s direction and its prospects heading into GE16.
