KUALA LUMPUR – PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli has raised concerns over the appointment of a vendor for the party’s election system, claiming it was made without consultation or discussion with the party’s political bureau.
According to Rafizi, the decision to engage the vendor was made discreetly in December 2024, long before any formal talk of party elections had begun.
He said the matter had been brought to the attention of party secretary-general Dr Fuziah Salleh, yet no explanation was given on the lack of discussion, local media reported.
“I want to apologise to my friends for the way this (system) issue unfolded. We had given different views at each juncture. When it came to the election, we said to reconsider it,” he said during the Jelajah Hidupkan Idealisme Reformasi Dalam Ujian Kuasa (HIRUK) tour in Perak, which was streamed live on his social media on Sunday.
He added, “I never actually mentioned it publicly, but others knew that the vendor had already been appointed before the matter was brought to the Political Bureau or Central Leadership Council (MPP).”
Rafizi claimed to be in possession of the vendor’s letter of appointment, dated November or December 2024, adding that the decision was made quietly without the knowledge of party leaders.
“If anyone wants to challenge this, I have the appointment letter. At that time, there was no mention of elections yet. The appointment happened silently,” he said. “I was the first to question how a vendor was appointed when the matter had not even been raised to the bureau or MPP. Decisions like these require a proper vetting process.”
He also said he had contacted PKR’s party election committee chairperson Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa following complaints from candidates about disorganisation during the initial phase of the party election.
“There were complaints during the first week, like ‘heads being cut off’. I called Zaliha, and she admitted she didn’t really understand the system. If she has forgotten, I called her that evening after Maghrib,” he alleged.
Previously, media reported that more than 280 complaints were filed throughout the party’s election process, covering nomination, campaigning, and branch-level results. The introduction of a new digital voting system reportedly led to technical issues and dissatisfaction among candidates.
Separately, Rafizi expressed regret over the leak of a confidential letter he had sent to party president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Dr Fuziah, in which he stated his intention not to officiate the PKR Youth and Women’s Congress.
“I only sent the letter to two people. How did a confidential letter get leaked?” he asked.
The Pandan MP described the leak as unethical and symptomatic of internal political sabotage, recalling a similar incident in 2019 when a letter he wrote to Anwar was also leaked and politicised.
“This isn’t about emotions or personal sentiment. I’ve made my decision. I won’t go. I’ll bear the consequences—as long as I don’t normalise wrongdoing,” he said firmly.
Rafizi also criticised the party’s failure to communicate its decision to launch the Sabah state election machinery—featuring Nurul Izzah Anwar and Amiruddin Shari—on the same date and time as his own programme.
“There was no meeting, no formal notice. Suddenly a poster appeared,” he said, stressing that such actions place grassroots leaders in a difficult position and undermine party discipline.
He insisted that his stand was not to block anyone but to preserve organisational integrity.
“If you want a new deputy president, go ahead. If you want Izzah or Amiruddin to launch it, go ahead. I won’t stop it,” he said.
He warned against normalising internal misconduct, particularly ahead of the next party elections.
“In this party, we’re taught to speak up when something is wrong. We must not accept it as the norm,” he said, adding that consistency in principles must apply regardless of whether the party is in government or opposition.
“We can’t have two sets of standards. That’s not the reformasi spirit.” – May 19, 2025