SHAH ALAM, July 17 — Newly-elected PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli today reassured party president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim that he would never leave the party, but also insisted he has no plans to tone down his outspoken manner.
He said that while he had a reputation for being blunt, he would not betray the party or Anwar as his predecessor Datuk Seri Azmin Ali did in 2020 with the “Sheraton Move”.
“I may be outspoken, but I am not Azmin Ali...I don’t sweet talk you and then, stab you in the back.
“I never promised to break down prison walls when Anwar was jailed... but I travelled across the country to campaign for you all to win as I knew only with Pakatan Harapan winning could Anwar be freed,” he said in his speech at the PKR national congress today.
Rafizi won the post of deputy president defeating incumbent secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail with a convincing 16,668 majority in the recent party polls.
He said that all his criticism, although stinging, is for the party to win and not because he intends to challenge Anwar, contrary to what some had suggested.
“It is not a question of whether I want the position. The fact is we need to find a way to make the best offer to the people because when the people have confidence in us, then our president could be the prime minister.
“I did not seek to break up the party. It is to find the best way for our leadership to return as before and so that people will be convinced that Anwar Ibrahim can change their future,” he said.
The former Pandan MP had been on hiatus since Pakatan Harapan won the 2018 general election.
He had insisted that he did not regret his decision to put politics on the backburner, and had only returned to active politics due to the party’s drubbing in the Johor state election earlier this year.
Upon his return however, he called on party members to start prepping for the next general election which is expected within the next few months.
He also asked party members across the country to lodge police reports against Datuk Seri Najib Razak over what he claimed were lies perpetuated by the convicted former prime minister.
