Rafizi, who will be defending his deputy presidency this Friday, said such a condition would improve party discipline and ensure loyalty.

He said the current system allowed newcomers to jump straight into leadership roles, sometimes with the approval of the party president.

“Sometimes, party members who haven’t even been with us for a year are allowed to contest.

“I’m asking for this to be scrapped entirely,” he told the crowd on the campaign trail last night.

Also present were PKR vice-presidents Aminuddin Harun and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.

Rafizi said members who wanted positions in the party should “start from the bottom”.

“They should not resign from MIC and, six months later, be allowed to contest a parliamentary seat (in the general election) and subsequently be made a deputy minister,” he said in a veiled swipe at R Ramanan, who is vying for the vice-presidency.

“If they are truly loyal and capable, the party will promote them the right way,” he added.

Ramanan, a former MIC treasurer-general, joined PKR in 2020 after quitting the Indian-based party in 2014.

The Sungai Buloh MP, who is the deputy entrepreneur development and cooperatives minister, has publicly endorsed Rafizi’s competitor, Nurul Izzah Anwar, for the deputy presidency.

Rafizi said the growing tension in the party was due to a clash between long-time reformists and those “who were after posts”.

He also claimed that there were efforts to block his path to the top post.

“They don’t want me to take over because working with me is not easy,” he said, adding that members would need to follow party principles.