Former PKR vice-president Tian Chua said a true succession plan would involve broader leadership collaboration, which he claims PKR lacks due to previous defections and generational gaps.
“If there is a succession plan, PKR president Anwar Ibrahim would need Nurul Izzah, Rafizi, Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, Amirudin Shaari and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad to build a big team, as we have seen in the past.
“To me, these probably are the important figures that can ensure a more successful transition. In such a scenario, the team would be more solid and can potentially lead the party in a post-Anwar situation,” he told FMT.
Last month, party bigwigs, including vice-presidents Nik Nazmi and K Saraswathy, PKR Youth chief Adam Adli, his predecessor Akmal Nasir, as well as several MPs and assemblymen, lost in their respective division elections.
The leaders have since agreed to “move on” and not dispute the election results following an audit, which revealed that there was no interference from external or third parties in the blockchain technology used in the voting.
Tian Chua, the former Batu MP, criticised any top-down endorsements in PKR as “unhealthy”, saying the party should value independent delegate votes, representing the grassroots.
He also suggested that Nurul Izzah’s challenge for the deputy presidency could affect her father regardless of the outcome.
According to Tian Chua, if Nurul Izzah loses the party elections, it would seem that she does not have the support in the party, which will reflect on Anwar as well.
However, he said, if she does win the election, other parties will say Anwar protected her and gave her “a bed of roses” to take over the party.
He said it would make Nurul Izzah’s task of trying to build a strong post-Anwar PKR even harder and if the situation within the party is not handled properly, Rafizi and his camp could walk out, further weakening PKR.
Asked if a “hidden figure” had fielded Nurul Izzah against Rafizi for the post due to the latter’s “tantrum” following the first round of election results, Tian Chua said: “As an observer, this is a theory. But as an insider, my guess is that it could be very true.”
Last week, it was reported that Rafizi, who is also the economy minister, had taken leave from his official duties amid speculation over his political standing after the defeat of several apparent allies in the recent PKR divisional polls.
Since then, numerous state and divisional leaders had expressed their support for Nurul Izzah’s bid for the number two position, which was won by Rafizi in 2022 in a contest against then PKR secretary-general Saifuddin.
Meanwhile, Saifuddin said he will not contest any position in the party elections this month, citing a desire to focus on the party’s broader political struggle.
His aide, Omar Mokhtar Manap, said Saifuddin, reached the decision not to contest any posts after discussions with several parties, including PKR’s top leadership.