IN a podcast discussion, former economy minister Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli elaborated on the frequent tensions with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim regarding his approach to public communication.
In the podcast, Yang Bakar Menteri (YBM), Rafizi said these clashes were a major source of contention during his two-year tenure, stemming from the Economy Ministry’s broad oversight, which inevitably required commenting on issues across other ministries.
This led to frequent tensions, as other ministers resented his comments on matters touching their portfolios.
“That’s one of the things he often got angry with me about. Because he would say, ‘You cannot comment like this. You cannot do this’.”
Despite the interconnected role, Anwar repeatedly disallowed such cross-ministry engagement, turning Rafizi’s communication style into a persistent point of conflict.
“So it became an issue. So my communication in those two years always became a source of contention with the Prime Minister.”
Rafizi explained there were repeated reprimands. This contributed to his overall frustration with the government’s rigid communication framework.
On the other hand, Rafizi, in another episode of the podcast, also claimed that Anwar, who is also PKR president, harbours discomfort toward figures with strong grassroots influence.
He pointed to Anwar’s public support for a rival candidate in the 2022 party elections as evidence of this tension, suggesting Anwar viewed subsequent grassroots victories as a personal affront and believes the party exists primarily for his control.
Rafizi alleged that Anwar seeks total dominance over PKR, reminiscent of old UMNO tendencies, and aims to restructure the central leadership to silence dissenting voices, including his own.
He explained that this could be seen when Anwar openly campaigned for Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail to become deputy president during the party’s 2022 elections.
“So when we won big, he felt it was a personal slap. He feels what happened in 2022 is not over because PKR exists for him.
“What he wants is ‘total control of the party’, so I think that’s the remaining attitude from UMNO. He wants the entire PKR Central Leadership Council to not be aligned with me, meaning I cannot speak out,” he said during the podcast YBM episode 28.
During the same podcast, Rafizi explained that his decision to resign as economy minister stems from the party’s internal system, which he accuses of shielding top leaders while undermining grassroots members. — Jan 3, 2026
