Two former senior Malaysian ministers announced yesterday that they would vacate their parliamentary seats and resign from Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s People’s Justice Party (PKR) to take over leadership of a minor political party.
Former Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli and former Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad yesterday announced plans to take over leadership of the Malaysian United Party and took part in a symbolic handover ceremony involving party founder Tan Gin Theam.
Speaking at a press conference later yesterday, Rafizi said he and Nik Nazmi had decided to vacate their seats in order to avoid accusations of “party switching”, which were previously commonplace in Malaysian politics before being made illegal at the end of 2022. With the current legislature already more than three years past, their seats – in the Pandan and Setiawangsa constituencies in Peninsular Malaysia – are expected to remain vacant until the next general elections and will be filled via by-elections.
Although the freeing of seats will not impact Anwar’s parliamentary majority, the departure of the two leaders could pose a political challenge for the Malaysian leader in the future. Rafizi had previously served as vice president under Anwar and was seen for some time as a potential successor. However, he has become sharply critical of Anwar’s leadership since he and Nik Nazmi lost their positions as PKR leaders in an internal party vote in May last year – an event which prompted both men to resign from Anwar’s cabinet.
As Channel News Asia reported, Rafizi “has since accused Anwar of surrounding himself with yes-men, protecting vested interests and failing to implement the reforms that once defined PKR.”
At yesterday’s event, Rafizi said the duo made the decision to jump ship because they felt the existing political parties could no longer address the most pressing issues facing Malaysians, such as the high cost of living.
“Our aspiration is to provide a political platform to like-minded citizens who believe that political power belongs to the people and not to politicians,” Rafizi said at the event.
Nik Nazmi also criticized the ruling Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition, of which P)KR is the main component, accusing it of sowing fear by warning voters that the Islamist PAS party could take power if urban voters abandon PH in the next election.
“What worries people, especially young people, is that leaders always circumvent and delay their reform promises,” he said, according to the Straits Times.
The two leaders now say they are planning to establish the United Party of Malaysia, also known as Parti Bersama Malaysia (Bersama for short), and prepare to contest the next general election. Rafizi said he believed other MPs would eventually consider similar measures once the party was properly established, although he acknowledged the anti-Party Hopping law could create complications. Present at yesterday’s event were what the Straits Times described as six “renegade” PKR lawmakers, although they have not decided – at least for now – to join Bersama.
Bersama was founded in Penang in 2016, breaking away from the predominantly Chinese Malaysian Chinese Association. He contested the 2018 general election but lost all five parliamentary seats and 20 state seats he contested for in Penang. As noted by the Straits Times, the Bersama party logo is a blue Kancilor mouse-deer, who “is known in Malay folk tales for his cunning.”
The defections of Rafizi and Nik Nazmi are likely to amplify rumors of early elections, which have been raging in Malaysian political circles for some time. The next general election is not scheduled until 2028, but Reuters reported in March that it could be called as early as July, while several national elections are planned.
In a speech at a PH leadership congress yesterday, Anwar said he would consider calling an early general election if the deterioration in relations within the unity government continues. “The date (of the general election) is the prime minister’s decision but I have to listen to the advice and (views) of my friends,” he said, according to Reuters.