Rafizi said would have heart attack if wins “orchestrated” election

AS the People’s Justice Party (PKR) gears up for its central leadership elections on May 23, the contest for the deputy presidency has intensified between incumbent Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli and challenger Nurul Izzah Anwar.

Rafizi, who also serves as the Minister of Economy, has publicly expressed skepticism about his chances of retaining the deputy president post.

Speaking at the final stop of his final “Jelajah Hiruk” campaign in Johor Bahru last night, he remarked, he said the election was arranged and orchestrated but says he has no problem with what happened.

“If I suddenly win, I might have a heart attack because knowing how things have been arranged and orchestrated, the signals are clear that I will lose. And I have no problem with that,” he said in front of his supporters.

Rafizi further added that his anticipated defeat does not stem from a lack of grassroots support but rather from perceived flaws within the party’s internal electoral process.

He said the grassroot supported him, denying he had lost the grassroot support.

“Based on the ground surveys from various party branches, I have no issue winning. The support is there,” he said.

Grassroot Support

Several media meanwhile reported Rafizi’s challenger Nurul Izzah is leading based on open endorsements from party divisions and the current voting trends among delegates.

Political analyst Prof. Datuk Dr. Sivamurugan Pandian noted that Nurul Izzah’s moderate campaign approach, focusing on grassroots engagement without confrontation, has resonated positively within the party.

Senior Research Manager of the Darul Ehsan Institute (IDE), Khairul Arifin Mohd Munir said that Nurul Izzah, who lagged behind in the election race in the first week, managed to dominate public sentiment by the end of the campaign period.

“Our observations on the general perception found that in the first week, Rafizi was ahead. In terms of perception, he (Rafizi) started the campaign a lot. Positive sentiment towards him was 55% compared to Nurul Izzah who received positive sentiment of 48%.

“Our observations in the previous 48 hours, we found that positive sentiment towards Nurul Izzah was at the level of 60 percent, while Rafizi was 40 percent. Nurul Izzah was able to catch up with sentiment. I tell you this is based on open social media sentiment monitoring,” he said in a television talkshow.

In her own tour in Seremban on Monday, Nurul Izzah talked about unity within the party.

She said the current focus of all parties is not only to ensure a stable government but also to increase efforts to engage with grassroot members for the party’s strength.

“The spirit of tonight needs to be showcased so that in the next 24 months, all party leaders at the state and branch levels can be seen as a solid front for the party and the government,” she said, echoing her speeches in other regions in her own DAMAI tour.

In addressing concerns about internal divisions, Nurul Izzah warned that infighting could jeopardize the party’s future.

She urged members to unite post-election, stating, “Infighting will wipe out PKR in 5 to 10 years.”

No Deputy President in Youth and Women’s congress

Another controversy this week is Rafizi, as incumbent deputy president claiming he will not officiate the party’s youth (AMK) and women congress this week.

He said his refusal stemmed from a breach of party protocol after the Sabah PKR election machinery launch – which is set to be led by Nurul Izzah – was allegedly announced without prior discussion by the party’s political bureau or central leadership council.

At the Jelajah Hiruk programme in Ipoh on Monday Rafizi said the letter of which he declined to officiate the AMK and Women’s congress was addressed to only two people: President Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Secretary-General Fuziah Salleh was leaked.

However Fuziah denied the matter after saying the leak did not happen on their side.

“It’s not true that it was only shared with the party president and the secretary-general,” she said as quoted by an online portal on Monday.

PKR Youth chief Adam Adli also confirmed that the wing had received a copy of Rafizi’s letter to Anwar, in which he declined the invitation despite initially agreeing.

A copy of the letter, which has been circulating on social media, revealed that PKR Women chief Fadhlina Sidek was also copied in on it.

This growing friction, unfolding publicly, has raised concerns among party elders and civil society observers who hoped the party would avoid a divisive internal battle ahead of the 16th General Election (GE16).

The outcome of this election is poised to influence PKR’s direction and its role within Malaysia’s political landscape, as delegates prepare to cast their votes in the coming days – TMR