• Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail dismissed claims that Nurul Izzah Anwar’s loss in the PKR deputy presidency race reflects rejection of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, calling it a straightforward contest between two candidates.
  • He criticised efforts to frame the race as a proxy battle, stressing the importance of party unity and revealing his decision not to contest was to maintain stability within PKR.
  • Despite stepping back from the race, Saifuddin affirmed his continued involvement in Pakatan Harapan and PKR’s leadership through strategic roles within both entities.

PUTRAJAYA, May 13 — Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail today dismissed the notion that Nurul Izzah Anwar’s defeat in the PKR deputy presidency race will reflect poorly on the party or signals a rejection of its president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Responding to a remark by Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli, Saifuddin said the contest for the post is merely between the incumbent and challenger Nurul Izzah — and nothing more.

“I don’t see Nurul Izzah’s victory as automatically meaning support for Anwar, nor do I see her defeat as a rejection of Anwar

“This is a contest between Rafizi and Nurul Izzah, and party members are carefully considering both before making their decision,” he told reporters at a press conference after the Home Ministry’s monthly assembly here.

Saifuddin said Anwar was the very reason PKR exists, referring to his arrest in 1998 and the subsequent Reformasi movement.

“When it comes to being slandered, insulted, humiliated, no one has endured what he went through,” Saifuddin said.

Last night, Rafizi had urged his supporters to instead back rival Nurul Izzah in the upcoming party central leadership election for the deputy president post.

Speaking at his campaign tour, Rafizi said Nurul Izzah’s defeat would reflect poorly on the party and be seen as a rejection of Anwar — who is also her father.

He blamed senior party leaders for pushing Nurul Izzah to contest, saying it had created an unnecessary issue driven by internal efforts to sideline division leaders aligned with him.

Rafizi also said there had been a consensus within the central leadership council and political bureau that the top two positions should not be contested, in order to preserve party unity.

Sharing his decision not to contest the deputy position, Saifuddin expressed his desire to see PKR remain strong and stable.

“I’m an old hand, rather sentimental and nostalgic, really. As one of the party’s founding members, I want to see this party remain strong and stable,” he said.

Saifuddin reminisced about how the internal election now is different as PKR is now part of the federal government, and therefore holds a bigger influence.

“So, my priority is more about safeguarding stability and maintaining internal unity within the party. That’s why I’ve made a continuous effort to engage with Rafizi, Izzah, [Datuk Seri] Amiruddin Shari, and all the key leaders. My role is to moderate and bridge differences,” he added.

Saifuddin said anyone offering themselves for party posts should adopt the “we are together” mindset instead of “us versus them”

“I can’t influence other people’s decisions, but I can control my own. So, the best decision for me is not to contest,” he said.

Saifuddin said he still has other roles in the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition, after dropping his role as secretary-general to Fuziah Salleh.

“For now, I’m still the secretary-general of PH, responsible for coordinating among the four component parties and managing the coalition’s administrative machinery. I also sit on the political bureau of PKR. With these two roles, I can still contribute meaningfully,” he said.

On May 9, Saifuddin’s special officer at the Home Ministry, Omar Mokhtar A. Manap, confirmed that Saifuddin would not be contesting the deputy president post.