KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 16 — PKR’s Rafizi Ramli has downplayed the risk of boycott against the party’s move to force a by-election in Port Dickson in order to return Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to Parliament, and eventually make him prime minister.

In an interview with The Star, Rafizi said he has already started surveying Port Dickson voters to monitor their sentiments, to help with Anwar’s campaign.

“One thing I learned from campaigning is not to assume anything. There is a quote by an American professor, ‘In God we trust, all others must bring data.’

“Don’t tell me you know what people on the ground think. As we speak, we are surveying the voters of Port Dickson,” the PKR vice-president reportedly said.

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Rafizi said the findings will be received by the end of next week, and would be used to formulate its campaign strategy.

“It’s difficult to say for sure, but the risk of boycott, despite some comments here and there, is quite minimal because it is a state very favourable to Datuk Seri Anwar and my own candidacy as deputy president,” he said, referring to Negri Sembilan.

Rafizi also scoffed at PKR Wanita deputy chief Haniza Talha who said that the party leadership cannot solely determine that Anwar should be the next prime minister, since the succession plan must include all Pakatan Harapan components.

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“The party has made a decision that Anwar is the candidate for prime minister. We don’t want other backdoor arrangements or discussions or moves that can frustrate this, because that has always happened in the last four years,” he said.

“It’s simplistic for Haniza to say that the deputy president does not decide whether or not Anwar Ibrahim becomes prime minister. The deputy president decides whether the party remains whole in our support for Anwar Ibrahim to become prime minister.

Datuk Danyal Balagopal Abdullah resigned as Port Dickson MP on Wednesday to create a vacancy for Anwar, but the Election Commission has yet to meet and decide on the dates for the eventual poll.