Rafizi fighting too many fires Analysis JOCELINE TAN

PKR’s ‘Wonder Boy’ is taking a huge gamble by openly questioning Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s ‘amanat’ or mandate to engage with PAS in facing the general election.

MUSANG King durians have been in short supply in Penang. But PKR politician Dr Afif Bahardin went to some lengths last weekend to find the fruit for his special visitor.

His party president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail was in Permatang Pauh for Hari Raya Haji and Dr Afif invited her to his house for durians and teh-O.

He was thrilled to have Kak Wan, as she is known, at his house because he kept his songkok on throughout the duration of her visit and even as he was cracking open the durians.

Dr Wan Azizah, who is Permatang Pauh MP, was accompanied by her daughter Nurul Izzah Anwar. And going by the durian seeds on their plates, the mother is a bigger durian fan than the daughter.

Nurul Izzah has been making her presence felt in Permatang Pauh the last couple of months.

She is said to be preparing to leave her Lembah Pantai seat for Permatang Pauh while her mother relocates to a seat in Selangor.

But durians were not the only thing on Dr Afif ’s mind.

The Penang exco member has been at the forefront of a more thorny issue – defending his party’s stand on engaging PAS in the general election.

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s confirmation that the talks with PAS were done with his blessing went public a day after Hari Raya Haji.

The pro-engagement camp in PKR was elated and deputy president Datuk Seri Azmin Ali tweeted: “I am vindicated. Truth prevails over falsehood. Seeking a solution requires earnest effort – not grandstanding.”

It was quite a strongly worded tweet that basically accused his critics of seeking attention and spreading lies that he was the mastermind to keep PAS in the loop.

His target was his vice-president Rafizi Ramli who has not budged from his position not to cooperate with PAS.

Rafizi even cast doubts on Anwar’s statement, implying that the imprisoned politician is illformed because he only has access to a few lawyers who were “supporters of working together with PAS to avoid three-cornered fights”.

He had his own interpretation of Anwar’s statement – he claimed it meant that Anwar supports Pakatan Harapan’s stand on PAS, that any

Anwar’s statement is very clear and is in keeping with past strategies.

Yin Shao Loong

cooperation with PAS must be part of Pakatan’s nationwide election strategy and PKR’s approach to PAS could be reviewed from time to time.

Lawyer Datuk S. Ambiga, who is for straight fights, also came under fire from him for telling PKR to stop their squabbling.

Rafizi did not like that and accused Ambiga of being, among other things, “unfair, biased and misinformed”.

He also accused her of taking sides, of speaking like a politician instead of a civil society leader and that by accommodating PAS, she risked falling out of touch with Pakatan supporters.

A few days ago, he lashed out at a Chinese vernacular paper for reporting that the political bureau had issued a letter censuring him for revealing internal party matters.

He accused “two or three mem- bers” of the political bureau of leaking false information to the media.

Multiple sources indicated that a senior party leader did suggest disciplinary action against Rafizi during the recent political bureau meeting, but it was not taken up.

PKR’s wonder boy is not in a good place at the moment. He is fighting too many fires and alienating his allies. The question being asked is whether he is doing this out of principle or is it because he needs to take a contrarian position to the Azmin camp.

If it is indeed out of principle, then what about the Kajang Move?

That had little to do with principle and everything to do with manipulation and cooking up stories about racial unrest in Selangor.

Rafizi has always been this brainy, but polemic figure in PKR.

He often got his way because he had the ears of the Anwar family. For instance, he had indicated that he met Dr Wan Azizah regularly to discuss party issues.

It was obvious that Anwar also used him to check the influence of Azmin. But for Rafizi to go against and to question Anwar’s “amanat” or mandate is something else.

In doing so, he may lose the support of his president who has indicated that she supports talking to PAS.

“Anwar’s statement is very clear and is in keeping with past strategies. He understands how the Malaysian electorate thinks. He is aware of his superpowers and his deputy is carrying the torch,” said PKR’s strategic communications director Yin Shao Loong.

Anwar knows PKR seats in Selangor may become hard to win without PAS support.

He also knows Permatang Pauh is no longer an ironclad seat with PAS out of Pakatan. Also in danger are two PKR state seats in the Permatang Pauh constituency – Seberang Jaya held by Dr Afif and Penanti by Dr Norlela Ariffin who exposed the factory pollution scandal.

Pakatan leaders thought they were making a fresh start when they expelled PAS from the coalition. Instead, PAS has continued to dominate their political narrative from outside and none of them have the faintest idea what to do about this party that they do not want but which they cannot live without.

But all eyes are on Rafizi in the coming weeks. Will he edge closer to the precipice or will he pull back and tow the party line?