SHAH ALAM, July 17 — PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim expressed his happiness with deputy Rafizi Ramli’s speech at the party’s congress, saying it was like a Panadol for his headache.

"Yes, Rafizi is controversial; sometimes, he gives me a headache.

"His speech was like a Panadol. Now my headache is gone,” said Anwar in jest during his postponement speech for the PKR national congress here today.

Rafizi, in his speech, had reassured Anwar that he would never leave the party, but also insisted that he had no plans to tone down his outspoken ways.

He said while he had a reputation for being blunt, he would not betray the party or Anwar like his predecessor Datuk Seri Azmin Ali did in 2020 with the "Sheraton Move”.

Anwar, meanwhile, lauded the internal polls for giving the party a new lease on life and leaving many people disappointed as they had imagined a different outcome.

He even described some of his supporters as "thick” for not understanding the strength of his relationship with Rafizi.

"I guarantee I will not be hurt (by Rafizi’s actions).

"The problem is we have many thick supporters. That is why they don’t understand our struggle.

"Our relationship is strong. We are not in the fight with those who don’t betray us or those who are not corrupt,” he said.

Yesterday, Rafizi said there was no need for people around Anwar to defend him from criticism and constantly "apple polish” the Port Dickson MP.

On Friday, he also said a recent survey conducted by Invoke found that Anwar’s popularity was waning.