Latest news with #Setiawangsa
Free Malaysia Today
29-05-2025
- General
- Free Malaysia Today
We won't betray PKR, says Nik Nazmi
Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad resigned as a minister after failing to defend his PKR vice-presidency. PETALING JAYA : Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad insists that he and Rafizi Ramli are still loyal to PKR despite resigning as ministers. Nik Nazmi's cryptic post on X comes after a viral text message claimed that 11 MPs from the party are retracting their support for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who is also the PKR president. 'We resigned. We will not betray the party,' the Setiawangsa MP said. Nik Nazmi, a two-term MP, resigned as the natural resources and environmental sustainability minister yesterday after failing to defend his PKR vice-presidency. He also failed to defend his position as Setiawangsa PKR chief in the party's divisional polls last month. Rafizi also resigned as the economy minister yesterday after losing to Nurul Izzah Anwar in the race for the PKR deputy president's post. He said he was following the practice in countries that uphold democratic principles, where party leaders who lose in internal elections make way for those who have been given a new mandate.
Free Malaysia Today
28-05-2025
- General
- Free Malaysia Today
After Rafizi, now Nik Nazmi quits as minister
Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad is a former PKR vice-president. PETALING JAYA : Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad has resigned as the natural resources and environmental sustainability minister after failing to defend his PKR vice-presidency. This comes after Rafizi Ramli resigned as the economy minister. Nik Nazmi, a two-term MP, had also failed to defend his position as Setiawangsa PKR chief in the party's divisional polls last month. In a statement, he said he submitted his letter of resignation to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim today, and that he will vacate the post on July 4. 'I will be on leave from tomorrow till July 3,' he said. Nik Nazmi said he recognised that his previous post as PKR vice-president was among the main considerations for his appointment to Anwar's Cabinet. 'Since I failed to defend the post in the recent party polls, I decided to resign as minister,' he said. He pledged to focus on his duties as MP for Setiawangsa, which he is representing for the second term. Nik Nazmi was a running mate of Rafizi, who lost the PKR deputy president's post to Nurul Izzah Anwar. Before the PKR polls, Rafizi had said he would quit as the economy minister and go back to being a regular MP if he was not re-elected as PKR's No 2. The two-term Pandan MP said it would be inappropriate for a Cabinet post to be held by a non-party leader, in justifying his resignation.
Free Malaysia Today
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
PKR must not take core voters for granted at GE16
From Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad Understandably, with everything happening in our country and around the world, many may have let the day pass unnoticed – but we have just marked the seventh anniversary of the May 9, 2018 general election. That was of course the first time Malaysia saw a change of government at the federal level, with power transferring peacefully from Barisan Nasional to Pakatan Harapan. 2018 was undoubtedly a banner year for PKR. Despite all the setbacks and turmoil our party faced after the preceding 2013 general election, including the second jailing of Anwar Ibrahim and the break-up of the Pakatan Rakyat alliance, we still managed to achieve our best performance to date, winning 47 parliamentary seats and polling more than two million votes. State-wise, PH retained Selangor and Penang, regained control of Perak and Kedah, and flipped Johor, Melaka and Negeri Sembilan. The last three states had never changed hands before – and sweeter still, PKR has provided the menteri besar for Negeri Sembilan ever since. 2018 was also the year I entered Parliament for the first time. Setiawangsa was also a seat that had never changed hands previously, but I was able to flip my BN predecessor's 1,390 majority in 2013 to a 14,372-majority gain for PKR and PH. PKR also made inroads into indigenous seats in Sarawak, alongside our existing presence in urban areas in Borneo. It is true the picture was not entirely rosy. PH failed to win a single seat in Kelantan and Terengganu in 2018. But the outcome, as a whole, was seismic and we arguably continue to live to the present on the reverberations of that day. Where we are today Malaysia and its politics have of course changed a lot since 2018. We have faced the Sheraton Move, Covid-19 and the even more epochal 2022 general election which saw the formation of the Madani government as well as Anwar finally becoming prime minister. PKR is also on the cusp of electing a new party leadership to serve alongside Anwar later this month. Looming beyond that are several state elections and GE16. Arching over all these domestic political concerns are also wider, even existential challenges like the ever-increasing threat of climate change, conflicts across multiple regions, the Donald Trump 'Liberation Day' tariffs with its geopolitical fallout, continued cost-of-living anxieties and ever-increasing social polarisation globally. I truly believe that PKR can emerge victorious despite these challenges with the right leadership and understanding of the reasons behind our past successes and shortcomings. The purpose of this piece is not to rehash past glories, but some retrospection is appropriate. How did we succeed in 2018? First, I would argue that our victories were not just because of the 1MDB scandal or who our prime ministerial candidate was at the time. Those may have been big factors, but there was arguably a genuine hunger for change on the ground. We must believe that the desire for reformasi among Malaysians is genuine and that it is a heartfelt rather than a transient trend. Yes, reforms take time. Yes, they often must be sequenced. And yes, they take different shapes. But at the end of the day, ordinary Malaysians must see and believe that positive change is happening. They want to see it and believe it. It matters to them, especially voters who have backed PKR over the years. And so PKR – as the party of Reformasi – must be accountable for both its actions and omissions on this score— politically, administratively and economically. Second, our success in 2018 was an all-of-country effort. PKR, in particular, was propelled to power that year through an essentially progressive Malaysian voter core— Malays who had become disenchanted with the-then ruling coalition, as well as our traditional non-Malay base and those from Sabah and Sarawak. It was also because our party had a recognisable progressive Malay leadership that PKR stood out. Our party's brand of progressivism may be too much for some, or never enough for others. But it has proven to work for the real Malaysia. In 2018, it gave confidence not only to urban liberal voters but also moderate Malays. This progressive, multiracial, but also broad-based approach is something that we must hold on to. The voter base that we captured in 2018 is the kind of coalition that we must hold on to and seek to grow. We cannot take for granted that the non-Malay and progressive Malay constituencies that have become our core vote will remain loyal without addressing their concerns. Nor should we assume that they will vote for us simply due to a lack of options as the opposition keeps making mistakes. This is irresponsible. Integrity matters Integrity, too, helped us greatly in 2018. Malaysian voters must believe that PKR and PH are still fighting for integrity if we are to emerge victorious in electoral challenges ahead. People are often advised 'to actually be, rather than just seem to be'. But in politics, especially in this 21st century where perception seems to be everything, both matter. Since 2018, PAS and Bersatu have grown in influence not merely by playing on racial sentiments, but by appealing to Malay voters who are concerned about PH's ability to address Malay issues while remaining anxious about corruption and integrity. If we are to make inroads into these constituencies, we must address these issues not only through economic policies that benefit these groups, but also by showing our seriousness in issues of integrity. We will not beat the race and religious-based parties by competing on identity politics. PKR will have many major decisions to make ahead, but I believe our members will make the right ones. It will not be easy, but we must make them to move Malaysia forward. If we do, the promises and dreams of 2018 and 2022 will live on and finally come to fruition. Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad is defending his position as PKR vice-president in the party's coming central leadership polls. He is also natural resources and environmental sustainability minister. The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.
Free Malaysia Today
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Free Malaysia Today
I'm a comedian but I don't clown around with politics, says Afdlin
Actor-comedian Afdlin Shauki had defeated PKR vice-president Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad in the divisional elections last month, winning the Setiawangsa chairmanship by 631 votes to 563. PETALING JAYA : Setiawangsa PKR chief Afdlin Shauki says he is not ashamed of being called a 'professional comedian', but strongly objects to the label being used to cast doubt on his leadership and grassroots support. Responding to PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli, who reportedly made the remark during a campaign event on Saturday night, he said such comments carried weight even if it was meant in jest. A veteran of the entertainment industry, Afdlin said he has spent more than three decades in the arts shaping public awareness, and sees no conflict between his creative background and his political role. 'I am not ashamed of being called a comedian, nor of being a director, producer, writer, educator, and social activist. It is part of my identity as an artist. It is also how I have supported my family all these years,' he said in a Facebook post. 'But when that label is used to question my qualifications and the leadership mandate given by grassroots members, it takes on a different meaning. 'It implies that the voices of those who voted for me are undeserving of respect simply because I did not come from a 'political factory'.' Afdlin also dismissed the idea that his victory was a fluke, pointing out that his entire Setiawangsa team, including the deputy chief, youth chief and committee members, had won. 'This is not a personal victory; it is a collective voice from the grassroots calling for new energy and leadership that is willing to work on the ground, not just appear on stage in discourse forums,' he said. He urged PKR to embrace members from all walks of life, including artists and professionals, instead of limiting politics to the elites. 'I believe that if we truly want to keep PKR relevant, we must celebrate differences, not belittle them,' he said. He said he remains open to dialogue and collaboration, even with Rafizi, but would not remain silent if his integrity or the will of party members is publicly ridiculed. 'Let us return to the core of our struggle: respect the grassroots' decision, embrace diverse backgrounds, and work for the people, not for mutual praise.' The actor-comedian had defeated Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad in the divisional elections last month, winning the chairmanship by 631 votes to 563. Afdlin joined PKR in 2021 and had previously contested the same post in 2022, losing to Nik Nazmi, a two-term Setiawangsa MP, PKR vice-president and federal minister.
The Star
08-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Nik Nazmi confirms he will contest for PKR veep
PETALING JAYA: Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad has confirmed he will defend the PKR vice-president post. He is one of the eight candidates to have submitted nomination papers for the post. The other candidates are Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Chang Lih Kang; Deputy Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Datuk Seri R. Ramanan; Dr Sathia Prakash Nadarajan; Bayan Baru MP Sim Tze Tzin; Selangor exco member Hee Loy Sian; Senator Abun Sui Anyit and Segamat MP R Yuneswaran. Nik Nazmi, who is also Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister, previously lost the Setiawangsa division chief post in the recent division polls. "The party elections this time is not a matter of competition but is a huge mandate to ensure that the Reformasi idealism continues to live on especially when we are being tested with power," he said, referring to PKR's current position in the ruling government. Describing himself as a strong party man who puts the party and nation's interest above everything else, Nik Nazmi said the party and the government need stability. "I joined the party when I was 19 years old as I believed this was the best platform for Malaysia. Since the early days as Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's private secretary, I have been with the party through the trying and difficult times. "I have never taken the easy way out," he said in a statement on Thursday (May 8). Nik Nazmi said he also understood concerns of party members on the recently concluded division polls, adding he had raised the issue several times and believes the existing system has to be improved. The Setiawangsa MP also made three offers to the party members if elected, namely to continue the Felo Keadilan programme, strengthen the political education system and prepare the party machinery for the upcoming general elections. "GE16 will be the determinant. The country is at a crossroads. We are facing a wave of political hatred which can divide the people," he said. He said the party must prioritise the people and field the right candidates. Nik Nazmi, failed to defend the Setiawangsa division chief position, losing to filmmaker Datuk Afdlin Shauki.
