Anti Rafizi Wave In Pkr Polls

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(TS) – MANY thought Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Datuk Seri Azmin Ali would remain enemies until their dying days but they have been proven wrong.
The cordial encounter between the two men at the state funeral of Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was the talk of PKR. Party members scrutinised the warm handshake, the way Anwar rested his hand on Azmin’s shoulder and, of course, the cheek-to-cheek air kisses they exchanged.
The pair have such an intertwined history but the “reunion” is unlikely to lead to anything major, at least, not in the near future.
Or as the Prime Minister’s chief political secretary Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Md Akin put it: “That was my boss’ PR at its highest level”.
Shamsul was alluding to Anwar’s inborn ability to navigate any kind of social situation.
However, the chatter in PKR has since moved on to the “anti-Rafizi wave” that seems to be rippling through the divisional or cabang elections in the party.
Leader after leader aligned to deputy president Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli has fallen. They include sitting MPs and assemblymen several of whom are appealing the results in their respective division.
Perhaps the most interesting outcome was in Shah Alam where Kota Anggerik assemblyman Najwan Halimi beat incumbent division chief Rodziah Ismail, taking 1,213 votes against 899 votes by Rodziah. More intriguing was that almost all of Rodziah’s line-up won while she lost.
A party insider, who has been closely watching the party polls, said Rodziah’s dilemma reminded him of “a cicak (lizard) wriggling without a head”.
Rodziah, who is Ampang MP and an ally of Rafizi, is appealing the result.
Meanwhile, Najwan’s win has positioned the 40-year-old Selangor exco member as someone to watch in the coming years.
Najwan’s victory is no fluke because he went down to every branch in the Shah Alam division to meet party members whereas Rodziah was more focused on her campaign for the national Wanita chief post.
Are there hidden hands or a mastermind behind what is happening?
“It’s the rise of the new generation. The party landscape has changed after 25 years, a whole new generation is coming up. Members can see who can perform and deliver. This is what the result is about,” said Shamsul who is the new division chief of Hang Tuah Jaya in Melaka, where he crushed the incumbent Rafee Ibrahim by 1,955 to 736 votes.
Not all the big names who fell were aligned to Rafizi. An assemblyman and well-known warlord in Perak lost to a little-known challenger. The reason, according to some, was because he had allegedly “asked a developer for a bungalow” and the developer had complained to the party president.
However, the fall of so many leaders aligned to Rafizi does seem a little too coincidental.
“You might say that somebody is tapping the keyboard. It’s as if some sort of resetting is going on.
“At the same time, it could also be a result of the ground moving towards the Prime Minister, to let him have a team he feels comfortable with,” said the above party insider.
It is no secret that Rafizi has not measured up to expectations both as deputy president or the Economic Minister. A deputy president is expected to go around to organise the party, to troubleshoot and mobilise members but Rafizi has not exactly played that role.
Once seen as a “wonder boy” with a solution for every issue, Rafizi seems more equipped at theory than implementation and he has been eclipsed by Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz on the economic front.
Rafizi’s problem is that he does not have the trust of the president. Very few presidents are totally compatible with their deputies and, in this case, the rumour is that Rafizi had contemplated going for the presidency in the last party election. It did not materialise but it is said to have created a trust issue between the top two.
The above party insider said the changes taking place in the division elections has been perceived as clearing the way for a contest for the deputy president post.
“As of now, a contest for the No 2 post is not off the table,” said the insider.
The defeat of leaders aligned to Rafizi has put him at a disadvantage because the new division chiefs will be the ones deciding on delegates to attend the national congress and to vote for the new central leadership committee.
Anwar can literally walk on water at the moment. There is no one else in PKR who can match his charisma or power of incumbency.
However, the coming term will be his final one as PKR president, hence, the urgency to have a deputy president whom he trusts and to pass the baton.
Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amiruddin Shari, a potential contender, has indicated that he prefers to defend his vice-president seat.
Home Minister and Senator Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution is said to be willing but needs the blessing from Anwar. Saifuddin’s political career is on the line because his senatorship will expire at the end of this year and he needs the post to remain relevant.
Amiruddin is not a confrontational type and he is unsure that he can unseat Rafizi. He is also more than willing to make way for Saifuddin whom he addresses as “Abang Din”.
Whoever wins the deputy president post will have a fighting chance to be the next president when Anwar completes his tenure in three years time. But that does not mean the person will become the prime minister.
That top job will remain Anwar’s because there is nothing in the national constitution to say that the prime minister has to be a party president.
Anyway, three years is like an eternity in politics and who can predict what will happen?
“Politics is sometimes like a box of chocolates, full of surprises and uncertainties,” said the above insider, taking a leaf from the Forrest Gump movie.
The picture will be clearer in the coming weeks but all roads lead to Anwar and he will have the final say.
Source : TheStar
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