KUALA LUMPUR (May 26): Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) has appointed its vice-president Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari and Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail as joint election directors.
Amirudin, who is also the Selangor menteri besar, replaces deputy president Nurul Izzah Anwar in the role. Nurul Izzah, meanwhile, will focus on building party machinery’s capacity and strengthening grassroots operations, PKR secretary general Datuk Dr Fuziah Salleh said in a statement.
The decision follows a political bureau meeting on Monday as part of organisational realignments aimed at improving coordination of the party’s election machinery at all levels.
Nurul Izzah, the eldest daughter of Prime Minister and PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, assumed the role following the party’s internal elections last year after defeating former economy minister Datuk Seri Mohd Rafizi Ramli in a closely watched contest for the deputy presidency.
She has been notably absent from several party events, including the recent Pakatan Harapan convention in Johor Bahru, where top coalition leaders gathered ahead of the upcoming series of state elections.
In March, Nurul Izzah denied rumours that she was stepping down, stressing that she remains committed to fulfilling her responsibilities as the party deputy president.
On Tuesday, Fuziah also announced the appointment of the prime minister's political secretary Datuk Azman Abidin as director of the election war room to strengthen coordination of strategy, field operations and election monitoring.
She said the appointments form part of a broader restructuring exercise to ensure the party’s election machinery is “streamlined, coordinated and more comprehensive” across all levels.
Fuziah also said the party welcomed 5,936 new members between April and May.