JOHOR BAHRU: Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim could be left facing a political conundrum if his daughter Nurul Izzah Anwar clinches the deputy president post at his political party’s internal polls this weekend, analysts told CNA.
Nurul Izzah, 44, who is currently vice-president of her father’s Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) party is going head to head with the incumbent for the post and Malaysia’s Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli.
Based on campaign patterns and pledges of support from party members, observers said that Nurul Izzah is the favourite to win.
Yet, they added that this outcome could heighten divisions between the party factions and perhaps see Rafizi, 47, and his key supporters leave the party, drawing parallels with how Anwar’s former number two Azmin Ali resigned from PKR in 2020.
Analysts also highlighted that projected outcome in the polls will leave Anwar with a gaping hole in his Cabinet after Rafizi said that he would resign as Economy Minister if he loses the contest.
James Chin, Professor of Asian Studies at the Asia Institute Tasmania, University of Tasmania, said that if Rafizi resigns, it might be a loss for Anwar as he is one of the “more rational ministers” who appeals to foreign investors.
“Anwar will have to find someone with a similar profile, and this is going to be hard, especially if he is casting his net only among PKR members (to maintain the Cabinet quota for the party),” said Chin.
At the same time, Nurul Izzah has pledged that she is not keen to join her father’s Cabinet if she clinches the deputy presidency, a move that analysts say has placed Anwar in a difficult position.
Observers said that while Anwar might be keen to appoint his party’s number two in key Cabinet positions to shore up PKR’s quota, doing so could risk exacerbating nepotism claims.
In his final campaign rally in Johor Bahru on Tuesday night (May 20), Rafizi all but admitted defeat in the contest, taking aim at perceived irregularities in the internal party system for voting.
