Rafizi Vs Anwar A Brewing Storm In Pkr

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 By all appearances, PKR is united under the banner of reform, democratic governance, and social justice.
However, beneath the surface, a growing ideological and political divergence is threatening to fracture the party’s top leadership.
At the heart of this rift is the quiet but intensifying cold war between Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his one-time protégé and former PKR deputy president, Rafizi Ramli.
To many political observers, this cold war bears an uncanny resemblance to the historical fallout between Anwar and his former political mentor, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, in 1998. Then, Anwar was the rising reformist star within Umno, riding high on a wave of public support and international admiration.
His bold, progressive ideas and calls for economic transparency clashed with Mahathir’s entrenched autocratic style. The conflict culminated in Anwar’s dramatic ouster, galvanising the Reformasi movement and birthing the very party he now leads.
Fast forward to today, and one wonders if history is about to repeat itself with Anwar now playing the role of the establishment figure, and Rafizi positioned as the disruptive reformer pushing against the status quo.
The Rafizi factor: Strategist and reformist
Rafizi’s contributions to PKR’s electoral resurgence in both 2018 and 2022 cannot be overstated. In 2018, his aggressive campaigning, data-driven strategy, and appeal to urban and young voters played a crucial role in PKR’s and, by extension, Pakatan Harapan’s historic toppling of BN.
Despite stepping away from frontline politics for a time, Rafizi returned in 2022 with renewed vigour, offering the coalition strategic clarity during a time of public fatigue and distrust in political institutions.
Rafizi RamliThe Pandan MP embodies a newer, policy-oriented brand of politics. His approach is cerebral and reformist. He communicates in technocratic language, often pushing for institutional reforms, economic transparency, and efficiency in governance.
For many in PKR and among the general public, he represents what the party promised during its early Reformasi days: a clean, forward-looking government grounded in principles.
Anwar’s premiership: The pragmatist ascends
Anwar’s long journey to the premiership has been defined by patience, perseverance, and an unshakable belief in his political destiny.
After over two decades of struggle, incarceration, and political manoeuvring, he finally assumed the role of prime minister in late 2022.
But the coalition that brought him to power, a government forged under pressure after a hung Parliament, necessitated compromises with former political enemies, including Umno.
PKR president Anwar Ibrahim (left) and Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi at an Umno assembly, June 9, 2023As prime minister, Anwar’s tone has shifted from revolutionary to managerial. While his government has achieved some stability and pushed minor reforms, many of the bold institutional changes promised to voters have been shelved or watered down in favour of political expediency.
Critics argue that the Tambun MP is prioritising survival over transformation, using old-school political patronage to secure a fragile parliamentary majority.
This change in trajectory is likely where Rafizi’s disillusionment begins. Having fought for a new Malaysia, Rafizi may see the current administration as drifting from its reformist compass.
The structural reforms he championed - transparency in government spending, depoliticisation of state institutions, and a shift away from race-based policies - seem to be taking a backseat.
Nurul Izzah’s rise: A calculated move?
In this context, the sidelining of Rafizi and the rise of Nurul Izzah, Anwar’s daughter, within the party and government circles is telling.
Once seen as a potential successor to her father, Nurul Izzah has been reinserted into PKR’s inner circle at a time when Rafizi’s influence appears to be waning.
PKR deputy president Nurul Izzah AnwarNow elected as the deputy president of PKR in the recent party election, her elevated role and close advisory position to the prime minister, along with her frequent presence in high-level discussions, have sparked speculation that Anwar may be consolidating familial control over the party, potentially to curb the rise of a strong alternative power base in Rafizi.
Many party insiders and members of the public are beginning to draw parallels to Mahathir’s moves in the 1990s, isolating potential threats while promoting loyalists.
Spectre of a new reformasi?
The question then arises: Will Rafizi stage his own version of the 1998 Reformasi movement?
The political conditions today are certainly different. The former economy minister doesn’t have the same kind of emotional mass appeal that Anwar wielded in 1998.
However, he has something arguably more powerful in the current political climate: credibility among the educated, urban middle class and a consistent track record of policy reform and anti-corruption advocacy.
If disillusionment with the current government continues to grow, particularly among the youth and first-time voters who expected more from the so-called “reformist” government, Rafizi could well emerge as the nucleus of a new political awakening.
His focus on performance-based governance, transparency, and economic reform might find fertile ground among a new generation of Malaysians hungry for tangible progress over political drama.
A battle of titans?
Whether or not this proxy war escalates into a public showdown remains to be seen. Rafizi has, for now, remained loyal, but visibly distant. Anwar, on the other hand, appears focused on consolidating power and managing a delicate coalition.
Still, history has a habit of repeating itself, especially in Malaysian politics.
The tension between idealism and pragmatism, between the old guard and new blood, is playing out once more within PKR.
And just as Anwar once rose from the ashes of political persecution to lead a movement, Rafizi may find himself pushed into a similar role not by ambition, but by necessity.
Malaysia may soon witness not a clash of personalities, but a clash of visions for its future. Whether that clash will fracture PKR or transform it anew, only time will tell. The battle lines are quietly being drawn, and the nation is watching. - Mkini
R PANEIR SELVAM is the principal consultant of Arunachala Research & Consultancy Sdn Bhd, a think tank specialising in strategic national and geopolitical matters.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.

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