KUALA LUMPUR – PKR has issued a show-cause letter to its former deputy president, Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli, following his remarks suggesting that he intends to defend his parliamentary seat in the upcoming general election (GE16) — but not as a PKR candidate.
Rafizi, the Pandan MP, confirmed the receipt of the letter, which was sent by the party’s secretary-general, Datuk Fuziah Salleh. He explained in a Facebook post that his comments pertained to his plans once Parliament is dissolved and GE16 is called, and stressed that he has not left PKR.
“Once the Dewan Rakyat is dissolved, I would no longer be bound by the anti-party-hopping law. Since I would cease to be an MP at that point, it would be up to me to decide my next steps,” Rafizi stated.
He further clarified that, as long as he remains an MP and has not formally resigned from the party or joined another, he is still a PKR member. “The Dewan Rakyat speaker cannot vacate my seat,” he added.
Rafizi revealed his intention to respond to Fuziah in order to explain his stance. “After that, it is up to them to decide what action to take,” he said.
The former minister also suggested that PKR may want him to voluntarily leave the party so that his seat could be declared vacant, hinting that sacking him would allow him to retain it.
In a separate interview with Sin Chew on Sunday, Rafizi confirmed his intention to contest the Pandan parliamentary seat in GE16, though he indicated that he is unlikely to run as a PKR candidate. While he refrained from commenting on his future political direction, he ruled out joining a “third force,” forming a new party, or collaborating with former Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin.
Rafizi, a two-term MP, has been an outspoken critic of PKR and its president, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who also serves as the prime minister. His criticism intensified after he lost last year’s PKR deputy presidency race to Anwar’s daughter, Nurul Izzah. – February 26, 2026