If you thought Malaysia’s bitter leadership battles were over …
- Infighting at Anwar Ibrahim’s People’s Justice Party over who will be his deputy threatens to divide government.
- A whisper campaign is spreading that Anwar is plotting against ally Azmin Ali and the PM, Mahathir Mohamad
The People’s Justice Party (PKR), led by Malaysia’s prime-minister-in-waiting Anwar Ibrahim, is discovering the flip side to democracy.
A perennial underdog until its surprise victory in May’s general election as part of the Pakatan Harapan coalition that ended Barisan Nasional’s 60-year monopoly on power, the PKR is trying to shake off the infighting that has dogged it as it embarks on an internal voting exercise.
A fierce battle is raging for the position of deputy president as Azmin Ali – Anwar’s long-time ally, right-hand man and economic affairs minister – faces off against Rafizi Ramli, a pollster who predicted Pakatan Harapan’s win in May and a relative newcomer thought to have found Anwar’s favour.
With the duo apparently neck and neck, accusations of vote-buying, bribery, electioneering, violence, and even tampering with the newly introduced e-voting system have arisen – as has speculation over whom Anwar will back.
Detractors have speculated that Anwar, widely considered to be backing Rafizi, is out to eliminate the threat posed by Azmin, whose new-found responsibilities on a federal level have shown his capabilities as a leader.
These machinations may appear like typical intra-party jockeying and par for the course but at stake is no less than the future of politics in post-Mahathir Malaysia. Who after Anwar and who will stand alongside Anwar are key questions the party elections will give some early answers to.