BUTTERWORTH: Despite intense competition for key positions in the party elections for the 2025-2028 term, PKR remains united as one team without any factionalism, says PKR Deputy Information Chief 1 Datuk Seri R. Ramanan.
He said the 26-year-old party only had one team—that of PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who would remain the party's number one leader until the end of his term. However, two of the party's key figures would contest the deputy presidency.
"Honestly, I don't see team Anwar or team anybody else. There is only one team in the party, and that is team Anwar Ibrahim. There is only one president in the party," he told a press conference here on Friday (May 9)
He was responding to reports that Nurul Izzah Anwar would be challenging Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli for the post of PKR deputy president in the party elections for the 2025-2028 term at the end of this month, a move seen by some as potentially divisive for the party.
Commenting further, Ramanan, who is also Deputy Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister, said the party election should be conducted healthily as one big family, free from hatred or incitement.
On Nurul Izzah's candidacy, he said that the 'Puteri Reformasi' (Princess of Reform) had initially not intended to contest the party's number two post but later offered herself after witnessing grassroots support from within the party. 201 division chiefs declared their support for the PKR vice president to vie for the deputy presidency.
He added that Anwar was likely unaware that his daughter would be contesting the post.
"For the past four states we visited, Anwar believed no one would be contesting for the deputy presidency. Even in Sabah, Sarawak, Kelantan and Terengganu, we only expressed interest in supporting Nurul Izzah as vice-president - the idea of her running for deputy president didn't exist.
"However, when around 80 to 90% of the party rallied behind her, reflecting the will of the grassroots, there was nothing left for Nurul Izzah to reconsider," he said.
Earlier on Friday, Nurul Izzah confirmed her candidacy for the PKR deputy president post in the party election set for May 23.
Meanwhile, acknowledging the fierce competition, Ramanan, who confirmed that he would be contesting the vice-president post in this election, said he would work hard to gain support from the party's grassroots and was thus far satisfied with the backing received in several states, including Kedah and Penang. – Bernama
