Uphill all the way for Rafizi

Nurul Izzah is ahead in what her father describes as a contest between “loyal friends” but she ought to ensure that the outpouring of support for her from the party is not an echo chamber.

IT IS clear as daylight by now that Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli is not only fighting Nurul Izzah Anwar for the No 2 party post, he is fighting the PKR hierarchy.

The man is in the fight of his life and one can hear it in his voice and see it in his body language.

However, Rafizi, 47, is not crumbling but is giving his all to hold on to the deputy president post.

For those watching on, especially the legions of PKR supporters outside the party, this is the Rafizi that had swayed so many Malaysians to support the party - bold, fire in the belly and armed with data.

The thing about Rafizi is that he has always been able to think on his feet. The Economy Minister has been on fire in the string of campaign events starting from a podcast interview in Selangor to physical appearances in Seremban and Kulim that have been watched online by thousands of people.

But it is not a level playing field and opinion in the party is that Nurul Izzah is on the way to victory. A Selangor PKR insider even rated her chances at “70:30”.

Nurul Izzah, who was pushed into the ring at the eleventh hour, seems to be taking a tentative approach but her campaign launch in Ipoh was attended by more than 1,000 people.

Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amiruddin Shari is also organising an event for her. Selangor is PKR’s jewel state and it is up to her to mine as much support as she can.

Challengers to an incumbent rarely have an easy time but Nurul Izzah, 44, is a brand name. She is photogenic with a lovely voice that is tailor-made for campaigning and, of course, there is the family name. There has been such a massive outpouring of support from the division heads for her.

It has led a party figure to question whether these voices of support are “heads without bodies,” implying that it may not necessarily reflect the sentiments of members down the line.

It was also a pun to the “body without a head” phenomenon in the division elections where the division head lost but the team survived.

Nurul Izzah’s supporters, especially those holding posts in the party and government, are not exactly helping her by insisting that her candidature has nothing to do with nepotism.

Some have described the argument as insulting their intelligence. Surely these people know that public perception is everything in politics.

Instead of behaving like cheerleaders, it is better to dwell on her attributes, her contributions to the party and the kind of role she will bring to PKR and Pakatan Harapan.

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s reformasi movement changed the course of Malaysia’s politics and his family suffered greatly.

Nurul Izzah’s career has actually been curtailed for years because Anwar was aware of the optics of having more than one family member holding key government roles.

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was quite impressed by her and had contemplated making her the Education Minister in 2018. But Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail was then Deputy Prime Minister and it would be awkward to have mother and daughter in the Cabinet.

It has been one of those unspoken things that Nurul Izzah would one day lead the party but nobody expected it to happen while her father is still the president.

PKR is taking a huge risk in pushing for the father-and-daughter leadership scenario. The party can accept it but the potential damage lies outside the party.

How will it affect those who voted for Pakatan Harapan? Will the fence-sitters be able to swallow it?

Is PKR taking voters for granted?

That is something which party leaders will have to deal with in the coming years.

Rafizi’s ratings plunged after becoming a minister. But one of the most interesting parts of his campaign has been his frank account about why he cannot lash out like he used to as the opposition.

Being in government requires one to be a team player and he also explained his stand on the third reappointment of Tan Sri Azam Baki as head of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

Rafizi has been ridiculed as “raja formula” (king of formulas) but he is a data man who is great at interpreting statistics and he has used that to his advantage in his campaign. Those following his campaign describe it as “genuine”.

However, his team feels they are fighting the system in the sense that top party leaders have emerged to rebut what they say and to make counter-attacks.

Rafizi has asked whether Nurul Izzah can be the “general” to take on the opposition.

As such, instead of relying on others to counter Rafizi, this is the time for Nurul Izzah to show that she can be the “woman general” who can take on “general Rafizi”.

There is also an element of bullying in the way some leaders have attacked Rafizi. He is far from perfect but he has every right to defend his position.

Incumbent vice-president Chang Lih Kang, a diehard Rafizi loyalist, said it best when he appealed to party members not to question their loyalty just because Rafizi is fighting the president’s daughter.

“You can make fun of us, no problem. You can say I am not handsome or that Rafizi is balding and fat. We don’t mind, but please don’t question our loyalty to the party.

"We have gone into the lock-up for the party, we have been charged in court, we were out there putting up posters,” said Chang who is defending his vice-president post.

Anwar has described the contest as one between “loyal friends” but friendship is a fragile thing in politics. It is more a fight between people who have shed sweat and tears throughout the years of the reformasi movement.

There is great admiration for Nurul Izzah but there is also great sympathy for Rafizi because it is one of those rare occasions when the incumbent is the underdog.

Has Nurul Izzah’s time to rise to the top arrived? Can Rafizi overcome the odds?