KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 20 — PKR President Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today said that he would welcome back former vice-president of the party, Rafizi Ramli, should he wish to return to the field of politics.
According to Anwar, Rafizi, as a member of PKR and a Malaysian citizen, has the right to make any decision he wants, especially in the political and democratic spheres.
“He is a member of the party and like all the members, has his rights. We will always welcome his participation back into the political arena, and it should and must include welcome all,” he was quoted saying by Astro Awani.
This comes after party sources from within the PKR leadership told Malaysiakini that there would be a three-cornered fight between secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, Perak PKR chief Farhash Wafa Salvador Rizal Mubarak and Rafizi for the post of deputy president of the party in the coming party elections in April.
However, Anwar said that it is too early for speculations.
PKR’s party polls in April are to decide the party’s leadership from 2022 to 2025, while the National Congress is slated to take place on June 10 to 12.
Nominations for the party polls will be open from March 11 to 19 and PKR will hold online voting for the first time.
Rafizi, formerly a close confidante and adviser of Anwar, withdrew from politics in 2019.
The former Pandan MP is known for exposing several corruption scandals involving the previous BN government.
His Pandan seat was contested by Anwar’s wife and then PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail in the 2018 general election.
