Izzy Or Fizi? Nurul Izzah & Rafizi Ramli Are Likely Battling Over PKR Deputy President Role

While Nurul Izzah and Rafizi Ramli go for the second highest position in PKR, Saifuddin Nasution is minding his own business.

Some changes might be happening behind the scenes in Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), especially regarding who’s taking the second highest spot in the party.

Word has it that economic minister Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli returned from a short leave to defend his role as the party’s deputy president, a role he won in the 2022 party polls.

The other favoured contender is none other than Nurul Izzah, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s daughter, who is currently one of PKR’s four vice-presidents. 

Initially, a rematch between Rafizi and PKR secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail was expected, but a recent meeting between the two may have led the latter to sit out of the race.

Nurul Izzah seems to have a large support from other party members like Selangor PKR chairman Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari, chief of PKR’s women wing Fadhlina Sidek, youth wing chief Adam Adli, and Datuk Shamsul Iskandar Akin, the senior political secretary to Anwar.

There were whispers that some factions within the party were unhappy with Rafizi’s leadership after recent mishaps during the division-level elections such as technical glitches to alleged mismanagement of votes.

The unhappy parties are allegedly urging Nurul Izzah to throw her name into the ring of contenders for the role of vice president. Due to potential cries of nepotism, many believe she should be judged based on her merits as she had held her own in various party roles over the years.

So, who do you think would suit the role as PKR vice president? Here’s the comparison between Rafizi and Nurul Izzah’s qualifications and achievements.

The battle of brains

Both Rafizi and Nurul Izzah have storied histories and have achieved many greats in their lives. We’ll start with the easier to see at a glance; their academic qualifications.

Before entering politics, Nurul Izzah graduated in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the Universiti Tenaga Nasional. She then furthered her studies in the US and earned a master’s degree in International Relations specializing in Southeast Asia Studies in 2006.

Meanwhile, Rafizi attended the Malay College Kuala Kangsar (MCKK) and was an accomplished debater during his time there. In 1995, he did his A-Levels in Morrison’s Academy in Scotland and graduated after a year.

He went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the University of Leeds in 1999 and undertook a chartered accountant accreditation with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW).

When did they enter politics?

Nurul Izzah’s political career began in 1999 with the creation of PKR where she also played a vital role in its establishment.

In 2008, she won her first parliamentary election in Lembah Pantai after giving birth to her first child.

During her first term, she launched a constituency service centre which offered free tuition to low-income students and organised medical camps for lower-income residents through the People’s Housing Programme (PPR) flats.

She went on to launch several other initiatives including MyKasih Foundation, the first cashless food stamp system in her constituency.

She won the re-election in 2013 which allowed her to introduce seven private member bills. She also advocated to abolish the Printing Presses and Publications Act to promote greater media freedom.

In 2018, she became the MP of Permatang Pauh, her family’s historical constituency. During this time, she introduced Malaysia’s inaugural covid-adjusted Multidimensional Poverty Index report in 2021.

She held the position until she lost her parliamentary seat in 2022. However, in early 2023, she served as a Senior Advisor to the prime minister before stepping down not long after.

Overall, Nurul Izzah is known for advocating political and civil rights, and gained the nickname ‘’Puteri Reformasi’’ (Reformation Princess). Her activism championed overlooked issues such as educational equity, women’s empowerment, technical and vocational education and training, and institutional reform.

As for Rafizi, he’s said to have taken an active role in politics and activism during his studies in the late 90s following Anwar’s exit from the government at the start of the Reformasi movement and protests against the then Barisan Nasional-led government.

However, he started his career as an accountant in London before returning to Malaysia. Once home, he held several positions working with the national oil and gas company, Petronas, from 2003 to 2009. He claimed that he became a millionaire by the age of 30 while working in Petronas.

He later worked with the local healthcare company Pharmaniaga in 2009. In the same year, he took on the position as the CEO of Selangor Economic Advisor’s Office before leaving in 2012.

His first foray of politics was in 2003 when he became PKR Youth’s treasurer and was appointed as a member of PKR’s high council in the same year. This made him the youngest person to be given the position at the time.

From 2010 to 2014, he was PKR’s strategic director and was chosen as the central party’s vice-president the same year, a position he held until 2018.

In 2013, he was elected as the Pandan MP but did not contest in the 2018 general election (GE14) due to a string of convictions where he was sentenced to 30-months in prison. He was found guilty of leaking confidential banking documents relating to the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) in 2012 aka the ‘’cow conspiracy.’’

Despite being mired in controversy, he established the National Oversight and Whistleblowers Centre (NOW) in 2012 which fought to protect and encourage transparency and accountability within all government levels.

He contested to become the party’s deputy president in 2018 but lost to former Pakatan Harapan minister Datuk Seri Azmin Ali. In 2019, he left the political scene to pursue other goals such as focusing on his political campaign management firm Invoke Malaysia.

He returned to politics in 2022 to much of people’s excitement. This is largely due to his role of being a strong proponent against corruption and a well-known whistleblower in a number of high profile cases involving mismanagement in the government and its subsidiaries.

He won the PKR deputy president post in 2022, defeating Saifuddin Nasution.

Throughout his career, he has built a reputation as being the ‘’formula king’’ for his detailed breakdowns against the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), increased petrol prices and subsidies, including exposing corruption and the mishandling of public funds.

He leaked a 98-page classified auditor general’s report in 2016, exposing the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal. For this, he was accused of sedition and was sentenced to about 18-months jail under the Official Secrets Act 1972 (OSA).

Now that you sort of know Rafizi and Nurul Izzah’s career histories, who do you think has more mettle in politics?

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