Vice-president Chang Lih Kang is confident both candidates would work well with PKR president Anwar Ibrahim for the greater good of the party.
“(The winner) should be able to lead us in the next general election because that is the main goal— to win in elections,” he told FMT in an interview.
“Our number two must be loyal to the party and should not be a new face testing the ground. We need someone who is able to run the party.”
However, Chang noted that some quarters were intent on portraying the contest as a factional split between incumbent Rafizi and Nurul Izzah.
“There is no crisis. This is a norm in party elections,” he said.
An intense showdown is shaping up between Nurul Izzah and Rafizi for the second-highest office in the PKR hierarchy.
The party’s recent division-level election has seen technical glitches and allegations of vote mismanagement, giving rise to speculation that certain factions are dissatisfied with Rafizi’s leadership and pushing for Nurul Izzah to take over.
Former PKR vice-president Tian Chua recently claimed the contest suggests that the party was facing a succession crisis.
Chua said a true succession plan would involve a collaboration among a broader set of senior leaders, which he claims PKR has been unable to put together due to past defections and leadership gaps.
However, Chang said the public tends to view every party election as its worst ever.
He said the predicted fallout following an intense battle between Rafizi and Saifuddin Nasution Ismail for the deputy presidency in 2022 never materialised.
“The public thinks this time the party will split, but we will come back together.
“We say (things) directly, but we don’t take it personally. We have bigger things to pursue than bickering about non-important issues,” said the science, technology and innovation minister.
Chang, the party’s Tanjong Malim chief, is defending his vice-president’s post at the party polls, scheduled for May 23.
He said Rafizi and Nurul Izzah have bags of experience, are loyal and have been in the party for a long time.
“Both are capable, and have contributed to the party tremendously,” he added.