Rafizi still has a shot at becoming PM

Free Malaysia Today

a day ago

On May 10, Rafizi Ramli told Malaysians he would resign as economy minister if he failed to win re-election as PKR deputy president at the party polls on May 23.
True to his word, after his defeat to Nurul Izzah Anwar, Rafizi announced on May 28 that he had submitted his resignation and that it would take effect on June 17.
He noted that it was the practice in nations that upheld democratic principles for party leaders who lost internal elections to resign from government posts.
He said: 'My defeat in the recent PKR election means I no longer have the party's mandate to translate the people's agenda, as championed by PKR, into government programmes.'
A few hours later, minister of natural resources and environmental sustainability Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad announced that he too had submitted his resignation from his government post. Nazmi, who is aligned to Rafizi, failed to retain one of the four posts of vice president.
There is no doubt that, despite denials, there is a rift in the party. Analysts have been talking about a faction that supports party leader Anwar Ibrahim and another that backs Rafizi for a while now.
This rivalry reached its peak in the recent party polls, where several senior backers of Rafizi were given the boot – including Nazmi – at the divisional level.
Analysts had expected either Saifuddin Nasution, seen as Anwar's strong man, or Selangor Menteri besar Amirudin Shari to contest against Rafizi. Nurul Izzah's candidacy, therefore, came as a surprise to many. It would be naïve though to assume that she challenged Rafizi without Anwar's nod of approval.
As is to be expected, there are those who say Rafizi should not have resigned while some others think it was the right thing to do. Many members of the public have hailed him as a man of principle for keeping his promise to resign as minister if he lost to Nurul Izzah.
I suppose this is because most Malaysians have come to think that politicians seldom, or never, keep their promises.
Many young people see Rafizi as the harbinger of a new politics and as a politician who understands technological trends and embraces the digital future. They see him as a politician who stands for all Malaysians and one who does not play racial or religious politics – unlike many others.
He is undoubtedly one of the few young politicians who draw support from youths of all races, not just their own race.
He is also respected for his push for greater transparency and accountability in government affairs.
But politics is largely about numbers, or, to be precise, votes. First one must win the votes at the party level and later in a general election or by-election. Rafizi, unfortunately, failed to get enough numbers at the party level this time.
From the tone of Rafizi's remarks in recent weeks, one can detect a frustration with internal party happenings. On May 10, for instance, Rafizi said it would be a relief to be out of the cabinet as it would allow him more time and freedom to speak out on issues.
So what now for Rafizi? On May 10, the Pandan MP said he would focus on his responsibility as an MP and help PKR prepare for the 16th general election if he lost to Nurul Izzah.
On May 30, Rafizi said: 'I already have a plan on what to focus on next, but let everyone breathe first — with Hari Raya Haji coming up and all. I'll share more later.'
This was interpreted by many as meaning that he would not quit public life.
Certainly, his supporters will be anxious, as will Malaysians who like him or his brand of politics. Certainly, they will be asking questions such as: 'Will he make a comeback to the PKR leadership?' or ' Will he join some other party or start his own party somewhere down the line?'
Time will tell and he has plenty of time on his hands as he is only 47, still considered young for any politician.
Following the victory of Nurul Izzah, many are asking if Anwar is positioning her to become a future prime minister, if not the one after him. It may be so. She certainly has her strengths. Many would love to see her become Malaysia's first woman prime minister.
I was asked by some people, especially admirers of Rafizi, if he would ever become prime minister.
For a while now, some Malaysians have been throwing the names of Nurul Izzah, Khairy Jamaluddin and Rafizi as possible future prime ministers.
As deputy president of PKR, Rafizi would have had the best shot at leading the party after Anwar, and, presumably also in becoming prime minister – provided Pakatan Harapan remained in power and PKR still dominated the coalition.
Still, all is not lost for Rafizi.
He can take heart from the fact that four Malaysian prime ministers had taken a leave of absence, or were forced to take it, in their political careers.
Dr Mahathir Mohamad was sacked from Umno but came back with a bang to make history as the only man to become prime minister at two different periods, the second time as head of a new party called Bersatu.
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was not reappointed to the Cabinet by Mahathir when he became associated with Umno's Team B led by Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah who lost in the party leadership tussle to Mahathir in 1987.
Abdullah was in the wilderness for several years but never left Umno, and was rewarded with a Cabinet appointment again by Mahathir in 1991. Subsequently, in 2003, he became prime minister.
In 2016, Umno sacked Muhyiddin Yassin, who was then deputy president, for breaking party rules and attacking the Umno leadership. In 2020, Muhyiddin became Malaysia's eighth prime minister while leading Bersatu – although he served in this capacity for only 17 months.
Anwar himself was sacked by Umno, when he was deputy president, in 1998. He was subsequently thrown into prison on sodomy and corruption charges. He received a royal pardon in 2018 and in 2022 became the tenth prime minister of Malaysia.
All four faced defeat in some form and suffered the loss of position, patronage, supporters and even friends – but persevered long enough to make a smashing comeback.
Rafizi's supporters can therefore take heart that he still has a shot at becoming prime minister sometime in the future.
For that to happen, he has to remain in the public eye, like crafty Khairy, who was sacked by Umno, but continues to be seen and heard through his 'keluar sekejap' (out for a brief period) podcast and modelling stunts. The name of his podcast itself broadcasts his intention: he'll be back.
Also, Rafizi must show voters that he is an excellent MP, continue contributing to the betterment of the nation in some way or other, and, crucially, build up his support base in PKR.
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.