Eyes on deputy president post as PKR election draws near

KLANG: Things are starting to heat up in PKR just months before its upcoming party elections scheduled to be held sometime in April.

According to a party insider, a tough fight is expected amongst several top party leaders for the coveted deputy president’s post.

“Party secretary-general Datuk Saifuddin Nasution will be contesting for the position and some party members want Rafizi Ramli to contest as well but he (Rafizi) has not responded so far,’’ said the party insider.

Other likely candidates, he added, were Kapar MP Datuk Abdullah Sani Abdul Hamid and Melaka’s Hang Tuah Jaya MP Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin.

When contacted, Abdullah Sani confirmed he had offered himself to contest for the deputy president’s post but had second thoughts once he knew Saifuddin was also vying for the position.

“I don’t want to go against Saifuddin and so I will now probably contest for a vice-president’s position instead,’’ he added.

According to Abdullah Sani, Shamsul Iskandar had also first offered himself for the number two position but backed out for Saifuddin.

“Personally, I think Saifuddin is the only one who will be able to mend the damage done to the party by the Sheraton Move.

“We need him to work together with party president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to rejuvenate PKR,” he added.

The Sheraton Move was when several top PKR leaders in 2020 left the party leading to the collapse of the then Pakatan Harapan government.

Abdullah Sani said so far it looks like Saifuddin will win the number two position uncontested as no one has come forward to fight him for it.

When asked about the possibility of Rafizi contesting for the party’s second most important position, Abdullah Sani said nothing much is known about the latter’s plans at this juncture.

He also added there were mixed reactions within the party in regards to Rafizi’s possible comeback.

“There are some within the party’s leadership and senior members who want him to make a comeback whilst there are others who are very guarded about the matter,’’ he said.

As for the party’s more than a million grassroots members, Abdullah Sani said it was difficult to gauge their opinion on whether Rafizi should return and contest for the deputy president’s post at the moment.