KUALA LUMPUR (May 7): PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Mohd Rafizi Ramli said he offered to step down from both the Cabinet and the upcoming party election to focus on aggressive grassroots campaigning in the remaining two years leading up to the 16th general election (GE16).
In a statement on Wednesday, he said that during his leave from April 29 to May 5 to ease tensions after the division-level elections, he met one-on-one with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim twice and Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail once, who is planning to run for deputy president.
“In my meeting with Anwar, I suggested that the campaign strategy for the GE16 should be refined, considering the current state of the people.”
“I expressed my willingness to not contest for the deputy president position and not be part of the Cabinet to focus on grassroots campaigning. My concerns were mostly about the current campaign, which seems too defensive and not aggressive enough, unlike Keadilan’s approach when it was in the opposition,” he said.
Rafizi, who is also the economy minister, said the government’s campaign currently appears too defensive and lacks the offensive edge that PKR had when it was in the opposition.
That offensive approach, Rafizi noted, is one of his strengths. However, he acknowledged that his ministerial role ties him to the government’s administrative consensus, making it harder for him to speak freely as he once did.
"This, in part, has contributed to the perception that PKR's campaign lacks aggression," he said.
However, Rafizi added that both Anwar and Saifuddin had expressed the view that he should remain in the race for deputy president and continue serving in the Cabinet.
"I told them I would consider their views before making my final decision," said Rafizi in the statement.
He announced in the same statement that he will defend his position in the upcoming party central leadership election.