24-05-2025
Nurul Izzah is PKR's new No. 2
Fresh off victory, party deputy eyes pushing internal reforms and GE16
JOHOR BARU: Newly elected PKR deputy president Nurul Izzah Anwar wants to focus on rallying efforts within the party and internal reforms to head towards the 16th General Election.
Fresh off her victory in PKR's elections, she said her main focus will be on integrating all efforts within the party.
'Secondly, I want to implement internal reforms and move towards the next general election.
'I also ask for your prayers as my husband and I will be heading for Mecca to perform the haj after the party congress,' she said when asked about her reaction to winning against incumbent Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli.
She was met by reporters at the launch of the PKR National Congress at Persada Johor International Convention Centre here yesterday.
Nurul Izzah won party's number two post with 9,803 votes against Economy Minister Rafizi.
Meanwhile, when asked how he felt after the announcement of the official results, Rafizi said the focus should be on Nurul Izzah instead of him.
The congress will continue at the same venue today.
Nurul Izzah's victory had been predicted for weeks by observers, who claimed that sentiment among PKR members had soured towards Rafizi.
In the lead up to the election, both of PKR's wings, Wanita and Youth, as well as several of the party's state chapters, had expressed support for Nurul Izzah.
In the vice-president's race, Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari, his Negri Sembilan counterpart Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Chang Lih Kang, and Deputy Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development Minister Datuk Seri R. Ramanan, had clinched the four posts that are up for grabs.
Besides them, a dozen other candidates had vied for the posts, and they include Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, deputy party secretary-general Dr Sathia Prakash Nadarajan, Bayan Baru MP Sim Tze Tzin, and Segamat MP Yuneswaran Ramaraj.
Party central committee members Abun Sui Anyit and Hee Loy Sian, Jempol PKR division chief Manivanan Gowin, and veteran leader Mustaffa Kamil Ayub also joined the fray for the vice-president posts.
Elsewhere, 67 candidates vied for 27 seats on the party's central committee.
The top five candidates who managed to clinch positions at the central committee were Datuk Fahmi Fadzil, Adam Adli, Chan Ming Kai, Gunarajah R. George, and Azlan Helmi.
Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek retained her post as Wanita PKR chief, while Muhammad Kamil Abdul Munim became the new Youth chief uncontested.
Fadhlina had been challenged by Ampang MP Rodziah Ismail.
Those elected will serve in their posts from 2025 to 2028, and will likely steer the party into the 16th General Election, expected in early 2028.
Months before the election began, party president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had expressed his wish for the top two posts to be uncontested so as to not affect PKR's performance in the Federal Government.
