SHAH ALAM – Following the resignations of PKR’s Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad and Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli, a political observer has revealed that the major challenge now rests with PKR President Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his new deputy, Nurul Izzah Anwar.
Political analyst Arif Anwar Lokmanol Hakim said the PKR top duo must unite the factions associated with Rafizi and Nurul Izzah in preparation for the 16th General Election (GE16).
"Failure to do so could lead to significant political disengagement and apathy towards PKR, especially among its core supporters.
"Nik Nazmi’s resignation from PKR was not entirely surprising, as he belonged to Rafizi’s faction and had already been ousted from the vice-president post after losing to Datuk Seri R. Ramanan.
"In any political party that reaches the height of power, self-interest inevitably emerges among its ranks, often eclipsing sincerity. That’s why we’ve seen strong internal efforts from the central to grassroots levels to sideline Rafizi. It’s not far-fetched to think Anwar may have played a role behind the scenes,” he told Sinar Daily when contacted.
Arif said Rafizi is known for being highly idealistic in pushing for reforms within PKR and has been vocal in reminding members not to seek positions or power after an electoral win. This stance likely made many party leaders uncomfortable.
"This may have contributed to the broader ambition to remove Rafizi and his allies from key positions,” he said.
Nurul Izzah, by contrast, carries a softer persona that is more palatable to the leadership and being Anwar's daughter adds to her appeal.
He further said that Nik Nazmi’s departure would certainly leave an impact, as he played a key role in climate-related reforms and was actively involved in formulating Malaysia’s energy transition policy towards a low-carbon economy.
"Rafizi, too, championed reforms such as restructuring the income classification system for government aid, shifting it from gross income to net income after deducting monthly commitments and expenses,” he said.
Commenting further, he said it was almost certain that the reformist momentum within the government would slow down following the resignations.
"Those stepping in are likely to shift the tone of governance, even if not entirely reversing course. Reforms can bring both positive and negative impacts on the people.
"Some ministers outside Rafizi’s faction, for instance, before Fahmi Fadzil (Communications Minister), contributed less to policy-based reforms, especially in communications.
"Although the Prime Minister emphasises that every policy must reflect reform, given that the Cabinet acts under his directive, the actual outcome still depends on the capability and political will of each minister,” he added.
He also said that it was normal for any party that ascends to power to shift from idealism to realism and in the process, forget the promises once made.
Arif stated that internal shifts within PKR were inevitable, from the central leadership to the grassroots level.
"It is a common pattern that when any political party reaches the peak of power, opportunistic factions inevitably emerge and the original reformist group gets sidelined.
"Then, once the party loses power, these opportunists begin to splinter and bring internal instability,” he said, citing examples from Umno, followed by Bersatu, and now PKR appearing to face the same cycle.
"We have yet to see how the party’s grassroots and broader membership will respond to the results of this internal election. What’s almost certain is that it will cause friction and possible fractures within the party, weakening its overall strength.
"I also suspect Rafizi may either go into ‘hibernation’ and step back from helping the party altogether, or take a more aggressive route by using his podcast platform to frequently criticise PKR’s current direction,” he said.
He said past patterns from Rafizi showed internal party issues during the recent election, much like how former Umno Youth Chief Khairy Jamaluddin openly criticised Umno’s leadership during the 15th General Election (GE15) in Sungai Buloh to attract Malay voters.
"That’s why PKR’s leadership must tread carefully and respond wisely to the resignations.
"It could damage the party’s image even further. If PKR performs poorly in GE16 and ends up back in the Opposition, internal divisions will likely deepen,” he said.
Arif said there may not be an immediate or visible split within the party, but tensions will likely surface more clearly during the candidate selection process for GE16.
"If Rafizi’s faction is systematically sidelined from becoming candidates, it’s almost certain that disgruntled grassroots members and local leaders aligned with him will protest, potentially by voting for rival candidates.
"This could lead to the loss of previously secure PKR seats. Umno has already experienced something similar in GE15 when its leadership axed long-standing warlords from the candidate list and the party suffered unexpected defeats, even losing Perlis and the Tanah Merah parliamentary seat in humiliating fashion,” he said.
Arif added that if similar patterns were to occur for any political party, the one to benefit most would be Umno due to its solid voter base now bolstered by PH voters.
"Umno President Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi has previously declared his intention to make Umno dominant once again. So, political betrayal even of his former allies is not out of the question if the opportunity arises,” he said.