DistantNews
Support us
🇸🇬 Singapore /Elections & Politics

Malaysia PM Anwar faces pressure as party defections grow

From The Straits Times · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim faces increasing pressure from party defections to a new party led by a former protege.
  • Rafizi Ramli, a former economic minister, quit Anwar's People's Justice Party (PKR) to lead the Malaysia United Party (Bersama), which has seen significant membership applications.
  • While defections do not immediately threaten Anwar's majority, they raise concerns about his ability to retain power and hinder the PKR's electoral prospects.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is navigating a period of significant political pressure as a wave of defections from his own party, the People's Justice Party (PKR), bolsters a new political entity. Analysts and lawmakers point to these defections as a growing challenge ahead of a potential snap election.

Rafizi Ramli, once considered Anwar's successor, recently announced his departure from PKR. He is now set to lead the Malaysia United Party, or Bersama. The party has reported over 18,000 membership applications, with a substantial portion coming from former PKR members. While most defectors are rank-and-file members, their numbers cast doubt on Anwar's grip on power, particularly if internal party fractures force an early election.

If more PKR members of parliament who support Rafizi leave the party, Anwar will lose legitimacy as prime minister.

— Hassan Abdul KarimA PKR lawmaker and longtime Anwar supporter, explaining the potential impact of further defections.

Some within PKR acknowledge the internal turmoil. Hassan Abdul Karim, a PKR lawmaker and Anwar supporter, expressed frustration, stating that leaders had failed to address members' concerns. He described the party as "hurt, wounded and critically injured." Despite this, he believes Bersama could attract support from undecided voters, young people, and those prioritizing the economy. He warned that further defections of PKR members of parliament supporting Rafizi could undermine Anwar's legitimacy as prime minister.

While he still believed in PKR, the party was now "hurt, wounded and critically injured."

— Hassan Abdul KarimDescribing the internal state of the People's Justice Party (PKR) amid growing defections.

However, other party officials downplay the impact. PKR secretary-general Fuziah Salleh and government spokesperson Fahmi Fadzil have stated there is no significant exodus, with Fahmi noting that the party has gained members and maintains a total membership exceeding one million.

Political analyst Bridget Welsh from the University of Nottingham suggests that while the resignations do not pose an immediate threat to Anwar's premiership due to his parliamentary majority, the divisions within PKR could significantly hamper the party's electoral performance and dim Anwar's prospects for a second term. She emphasized that perceptions of Anwar's party management are crucial, as internal problems reflect poorly on his leadership.

there was "no noticeable exodus of members leaving PKR to join Bersama".

— Fuziah SallehPKR secretary-general commenting on the scale of defections to the new Malaysia United Party.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Straits Times in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog