Malaysia: Rafizi wins PKR deputy, allies take three of four veeps

• Rafizi Ramli has won the PKR deputy president race overcoming his rival Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, according to unofficial results released by the party’s central election committee.
• As of 8.30pm, the results for all states and federal territories, except Sarawak, have been announced. Saifuddin won in Perlis and Sabah while Rafizi won in the remaining states, including the prized Selangor.
• At the time of writing, Rafizi has garnered 67,895 votes to Saifuddin’s 48,797 votes.
• The lead of 19,098 votes is unassailable, considering the number of votes in Sarawak – the last state which has yet to be announced – won’t be enough to cover the gap.
• The tally does not count “doubtful votes” which number 5,147 for Rafizi and 3,896 for Saifuddin. Doubtful votes are votes that will require further verification from the PKR central election committee before they can be confirmed and added to the tally.
• However, their numbers won’t be enough to change the significant gap. It was a reversal of fortune for Rafizi in Selangor, who lost the state in the 2018 party election but emerged victorious in the current election.
• Selangor is a bellwether state with a huge vote bank of PKR members. The state is essential for a viable path to victory.
• In Selangor, Rafizi won 25,449 votes to Saifuddin’s 22,101. This was despite Saifuddin allying himself with Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari.
• Another major vote bank for the PKR polls is Sabah, which Saifuddin won with 8,585 votes to Rafizi’s 6,814. Saifuddin also picked up Perlis with 760 votes to Rafizi’s 593.
• In Johor, Rafizi received 3,967 votes to Saifuddin’s 1,117 votes. In Kedah, Rafizi gathered 4,847 votes, compared to 2,724 by Saifuddin.
• In Pahang, 1,863 voted for Rafizi and 425 went for Saifuddin. In Perak, 6,213 voted for Rafizi and 2,201 for Saifuddin. In Terengganu, 1,259 went for Rafizi and 791 chose Saifuddin.
• In the Federal Territories, including Putrajaya, Labuan and Kuala Lumpur, Rafizi received 2,908 votes to Saifuddin’s 1,437. The contest in Penang was close, with Rafizi getting 2,926 votes to Saifuddin’s 2,708 votes.
• In the vice-presidential race, of which four elected positions are available, the projected winners are Amirudin (52,304 votes), Tanjung Malim MP Chang Lih Kang (40,280 votes), Setiawangsa MP Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad (39,572 votes), and Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Aminuddin Harun (38,114 votes).
• Amirudin saw strong backing from PKR voters in Selangor despite his past association with Azmin Ali who defected from PKR to Bersatu.
• A total of 26,373 out of Amirudin’s 52,304 votes are from Selangor, showing how pivotal the state is for the PKR polls. Amirudin is aligned with Saifuddin while Nik Nazmi, Chang and Aminuddin are aligned with Rafizi.
• Saifuddin has congratulated his rival Rafizi who is on track to win the PKR deputy president race.
• “My attitude is simple, respect the decision made by the party members. It is the democratic practice for there to be those who are elected and those who are not. Do not spoil our camaraderie,” he said in a statement.
• Saifuddin, who is the incumbent PKR secretary-general, said his focus will be on ensuring the party’s national congress proceeds smoothly in Jun 22, where the election results will be made official.
• “When the process is completed, PKR president Anwar Ibrahim will have a complete leadership line-up. My duty ends then. “The next task is for the new leadership to prepare for the 15th general election,” he added.
• Anwar Ibrahim and Rafizi would be the best ticket for PKR to face the 15th general election (GE15), said Nik Nazmi, who expressed his gratitude after he was elected as one of the four vice-presidents of the party and defended his position as Setiawangsa branch chief.
• “With the Anwar-Rafizi pairing, I am confident this is the best ticket for PKR to face GE15. The future of the party is also positive: Rafizi is 44 years old, while Amirudin is 42; Chang is 41, I’m 40. This could turn a new leaf for our party, marking our renewal and dedication to the struggle of Reformasi,” said Nik Nazmi.
• He added that the party polls demonstrated that PKR does not lack talent, commitment, and enthusiasm among its members. He also felt that the party elections signalled that PKR members had rejected the “Big Tent” strategy.
• “They want us to reject political interests by shortcuts, reject cooperation with powers that have repeatedly rejected reform, social justice, as well as multiracial spirit, and betrayed the mandate of the people,” he said.
• He added that the new leadership must respond to these “clear signals”.

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