IPOH: Support for Nurul Izzah Anwar in contesting the post of deputy president of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) in the 2025-2028 party election is seen as crucial to strengthening the party in preparation for the 16th General Election (GE16).
PKR deputy information chief I, Datuk Seri R. Ramanan, said her proven leadership as a "war commander" was once again needed, referring to her successful tenure as election director during GE14, when the party secured a significant number of seats.
"We need her to take on the role of election director for the next GE, using the same strategy that helped PKR win 47 seats in GE14.
"The highest number of seats we've ever won was under Nurul Izzah's leadership as election director. Her track record speaks for itself.
"If she becomes deputy president and takes charge of the election machinery again, I believe we can win 70 or even 80 seats," he told reporters after a special meeting with PKR division chiefs at Casuarina Hotel here on Monday (May 12).
Ramanan, also the Deputy Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister, said support for Nurul Izzah was clearly evident from the strong attendance at the meeting, with 22 out of 24 Perak division chiefs present.
He also said that the Indian community was growing supportive of PKR, as seen by their increased participation in past elections. This development, he said, was due to the Madani government's commitment to the community, including the largest-ever budget allocation in history.
"We've allocated nearly RM400mil for initiatives targeting the Indian community, compared to only RM100mil previously under the Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit (Mitra)," he said.
Key programmes include the Indian Community Entrepreneur Development Scheme (SPUMI) and Bank Rakyat Indian Entrepreneur Financing-i (BRIEF-i).
Apart from Ramanan, 11 leaders have filed nominations for the party's Vice President post, including four incumbents - Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Chang Lih Kang, Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari and Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.
The PKR National Congress, including the AMK and Wanita Congress, is scheduled to take place from May 22 to 24 in Johor Bahru, with polling day set for May 23. – Bernama
