AT LAST, the cat is out of the bag. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s true intentions regarding his successor in PKR are now loud and clear.
Far from being the multiracial, reform-driven political force it once claimed to be, PKR now stands accused of falling into the very traps it once vowed to dismantle – chief among them, nepotism.
It has become increasingly evident that Rafizi Ramli, the party’s current deputy president, has merely been warming the seat while Anwar searched for a more suitable – read: more loyal – successor.
And that successor, many now believe, is none other than Anwar’s own daughter, Nurul Izzah Anwar.
Nurul Izzah, currently one of PKR’s vice-presidents, has recently seen a sudden surge in support from certain state factions to contest the number two post in the party.
These moves appear anything but organic. The political choreography is too neat, too rehearsed. It suggests a broader plan in motion – an effort to anoint her as the eventual successor to Anwar.
Rafizi confronts political wilderness
So far, Anwar has made no public comment. He doesn’t need to. His loyalists are working behind the scenes to lay the groundwork for Nurul Izzah’s ascent.
With the PM’s tacit backing, her path to victory appears well-paved – unless Rafizi can muster a formidable resistance.
But the writing seems to be on the wall. Rafizi, once seen as a brave anti-corruption crusader and policy innovator, may soon find himself pushed to the political wilderness.
His continued presence as deputy president is no longer in line with the apparent dynastic ambitions taking shape within PKR.
The implications go far beyond internal party dynamics. PKR, a party born in the fires of Reformasi appears to have abandoned its principles before achieving the full cycle of the reforms it once championed.
What remains is a hollow shell of its former self – driven now not by ideals, but by dynastic preservation.
Once hailed by some as Malaysia’s own Gandhi or Mandela, Anwar has revealed himself instead to be a political chameleon – willing to sacrifice ideals for the sake of consolidating power.
Bloodline advantage
His reported willingness to crown his daughter as successor sends a chilling message: power, not principle, now guides PKR’s course.
It is a colossal shame for a party once regarded as a beacon of hope, change and multi-racial unity. Nurul Izzah – despite her past contributions to the reform movement – is perceived as holding one dominant qualification: being Anwar’s daughter.
That alone, it seems, is enough to propel her to the party’s upper echelons.
This moment marks a tragic turning point. PKR, the self-styled champion of reform, now embodies the very practices it once condemned – nepotism, favouritism and political expediency.
Rafizi was no populist maverick but he had earned his stripes. He fought corruption, presented coherent policy ideas and remained one of the few reformists with public credibility. But in today’s PKR, merit counts for less than bloodline.
Anwar’s manoeuvring is more than just political strategy – it is a betrayal of the reformist movement he once led.
With this, the final nail is driven into the coffin of Malaysia’s reform hopes with the rise of political dynasties to continue unabated.
Goodbye, reform. Hello, nepotism. – May 7, 2025
Former DAP stalwart and Penang chief minister II Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy is chairman of the United Rights of Malaysian Party (Urimai) interim council.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
Main image credit: Anwar Ibrahim (@anwaribrahim)/X
