Malaysia PM Anwar’s staunchest critic Rafizi finds a new party – and a new fight

PETALING JAYA, Selangor – Former economy minister Rafizi Ramli has broken away from Malaysia’s ruling Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), taking along fellow ex-minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad in a split announced on May 17.

Datuk Seri Rafizi, formerly deputy president of PKR, will be taking over the leadership of the fringe Malaysian United Party – also known as Parti Bersama Malaysia. The party uses blue and yellow for its colours, with a “kancil” or mousedeer – known in Malay folk tales for its cunning – in its logo.

It is a splinter party of the Chinese-majority Malaysian Chinese Association, registered in Penang in 2016. Its founder Tan Gin Theam was at a ceremony to hand over the party to Mr Rafizi.

This comes after both Mr Rafizi and Mr Nik Nazmi were defeated in party elections in May 2025, which led to their resignations from the Cabinet.

Both also announced they will be vacating their parliamentary seats of Pandan and Setiawangsa by informing the Speaker of Parliament on May 18.

In response, PKR secretary-general Fuziah Salleh said in a statement on May 17 that the two men have effectively ceased to be members of the party.

At the end of the event, Mr Rafizi said the duo made the decision since existing political parties can no longer respond to issues of rising cost of living, employment and salary mismatch.

“Mr Nik Nazmi, myself and other colleagues agreed to do a kamikaze. The current generation – Gen Z, Gen Alpha and Gen Beta – needs a choice,” he said to cheers from the thousands who were present.

The term “kamikaze” refers to the fate of smaller parties in Peninsular Malaysia that are not part of the main political coalitions. They often lose their deposits after failing to secure the minimum number of votes required at the elections.

Mr Nik Nazmi criticised the ruling Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition led by PKR, accusing it of fearmongering by warning voters that the Islamist opposition Parti Islam SeMalaysia may gain power if urban voters abandon PH at the next election.

“What concerns the people, especially the youngsters, is that leaders are always circumventing and delaying their promises of reform,” he told the crowd.

Renegade PKR MPs not joining yet

Also present at the event were six other renegade PKR MPs: Mr Wong Chen, Mr Lee Chean Chung, Ms Rodziah Ismail, Mr S. Kesavan, Mr Zahir Hassan and Datuk Baktiar Wan Chik.

While supportive of Mr Rafizi and Mr Nik Nazmi’s move, they did not announce that they will be joining Bersama.

Speaking to The Straits Times, Mr Zahir said he is “considering” quitting PKR after attending the event and listening to Mr Rafizi’s vision. Mr Kesavan told reporters he was merely turning up in response to Mr Rafizi’s invitation.

In the same press statement, PKR’s Datuk Fuziah said the membership status of the six “is yet to be determined”.

The announcement event was held on the same day that PH was holding its convention in Johor Bahru, where Prime Minister and PKR president Anwar Ibrahim hinted that snap polls may be imminent if his federal government coalition fractures.

PH deputy president Anthony Loke told reporters in Johor Bahru that Mr Rafizi should have kept his PKR membership at least until the end of his term as an MP.

“We need to respect the process that when we win on the party capacity, then we should maintain it until the next general election,” he added.

Speaking on the upcoming elections, Mr Rafizi said the party would contest seats “deemed necessary” without aligning with any political coalition.

“We are focused on the long term. I am close to 50 years old, so we will train younger leaders in their 30s to contest. In one or two general elections, I believe Parti Bersama Malaysia will have a strategic place in Malaysia’s political scene.”

Analysts sceptical despite supporters’ enthusiasm

The entry of Bersama into the Malaysian political ring received the thumbs-up from its supporters, despite the crowded scene in Peninsular Malaysia.

A supporter who wished to be known only as Ms Faizah, 46, said she agreed with Mr Rafizi’s assessment that the federal government lacks the political will to implement economic reforms.

“I am a fence-sitting voter. I will vote for Parti Bersama Malaysia. We need real economic reform for the digital economy, instead of relying on the current agriculture- and manufacturing-based economy,” Ms Faizah, who votes in Shah Alam, told ST.

Political analysts were more cautious in their assessment of Bersama’s strength.

Mr Kamles Kumar, associate director at consultancy Asia Group Advisers, said Mr Rafizi looks to be targeting the urban voter base that has traditionally supported PH. The challenge will be in drawing these voters away from the established pact.

“However, how they will mobilise machinery and gather support nationwide remains to be seen.

“Mr Rafizi played an instrumental role in the 2018 election with PKR’s line-up of successful candidates, so he may draw on that experience to build his new party,” he added.

Dr Phoon Wing Keong, head of Chinese community think-tank Huayan Policy Institute, said Mr Rafizi’s influence may be limited to disgruntled PH voters in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur, where PKR is likely to be most affected.

“While dissatisfied with PH’s performance, Chinese urban voters also need to consider the rise of the Malay right wing, which could hamper gradual reform. I do not see a major swing of voters to Mr Rafizi’s new party,” he added.

Mr Rafizi has been a vocal critic of Datuk Seri Anwar’s leadership since losing the party’s deputy presidency in internal polls in May 2025. The elections then were marred by claims of vote-rigging, while Mr Nik Nazmi failed to defend his vice-presidency.

Mr Rafizi participated in a rally in April 2026 calling for the resignation of then Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief Azam Baki, who was embroiled in allegations of a “corporate mafia”.

The term refers to claims that the enforcement authorities, especially the MACC, had for years allegedly abused their wide-ranging powers to extort from and coerce corporate figures.

Mr Rafizi is being investigated by the MACC for alleged abuse of power and procedural irregularities linked to a RM1.1 billion (S$356 million) strategic collaboration between the government and Britain-based semiconductor firm Arm Holdings. He oversaw the deal during his tenure as economy minister.