SHAH ALAM, June 17 — Newly elected PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli’s team have proved their dominance in the party’s national congress after 13 out of 20 from his “cai” (camp) were elected as central leadership members.
The 13 individuals were former PKR youth chief Akmal Nasrullah, Fahmi Zainol, Lee Chean Chung, Nur Azrina Surip, Simon Ooi Tze Min, Wong Chen, Datuk Romli Ishak, Mohammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik, Zahir Hassan, Gerald Hans Isaac, Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh, Raiyan Abdul Rahim, and Zahir Hassan.
Meanwhile, the remaining seven members of the party’s leadership were Simpang Renggam MP Maszlee Malik, Siti Aishah Shaik Ismail, Mohd Yahya Mat Sabri, Elizabeth Wong Keat Ping, Hee Loy Sian, Amidi Abdul Manan, and David Cheong Kian Young.
Rafizi, who is the former Pandan MP, has been very vocal about rejecting the unification of the Opposition parties outside Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) “big tent” strategy, which contradicted PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s openness to discussing the framework going into the general election (GE15).
Meanwhile, newly minted PKR vice-president Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari urged the party to adopt more creative policymaking to stay relevant and appealing to voters.
Amirudin, who is also Selangor mentri besar, addressed the importance of focusing on bread-and-butter issues, as inflation remains a primary concern.
“Other than that, identity politics also must be addressed because, like it or not, this is the game that is being played by our rivals. They attacked us with racist slogans and racial politics and said that we are abandoning Malay and Islamic values.
“But ladies and gentlemen, when they are in power, they cannot run away from the term ‘Keluarga Malaysia’ (Malaysian Family),” he said during his speech to congress delegates at Ideal Convention Centre here.
Echoing his vice-president counterpart, Setiawangsa MP Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said that PKR need not only highlight the weaknesses of their political foes, but seek to strengthen the party’s narrative instead, as it prepares for the next general election.
Adding to the narrative, Negri Sembilan Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Aminudin Harun also called for unity within the party and urged party members to move on from the congress and focus on fighting the common political enemy in the next national polls.
The party’s fourth newly elected vice-president, Tajung Malim MP Chang Lih Kang, couild not attend the congress, while Adam Adli is now the party’s Youth chief and Dewan Negara Senator Fadhlina Sidek has replaced Kuantan MP Fuziah Salleh as PKR Women chief.
