KUALA LUMPUR – Former Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) deputy president, Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli, and former vice-president, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, have announced their resignation from the party, effective Monday, leaving their parliamentary seats vacant.
The announcement was made during a political briefing held in Petaling Jaya on Sunday, where both former ministers outlined their next steps.
In the announcement, Rafizi said his vacancy for the Pandan parliamentary seat will take effect tomorrow (May 18).
“I will issue a formal letter to the Dewan Rakyat speaker tomorrow to inform him of my decision to resign and vacate the Pandan parliamentary seat,” he said.
Nik Nazmi, who represents Setiawangsa, echoed Rafizi’s decision.
“I will also vacate the Setiawangsa parliamentary seat effective tomorrow and issue a similar notice to the speaker,” he said.
Rafizi further confirmed his official departure from PKR, stating that he would join his new party on Tuesday (May 19).
“I will issue a formal letter to the PKR secretary-general this Tuesday to inform him of this decision,” he said.
The two also announced that they have formally assumed leadership of Parti Bersama Malaysia (PBM), a move expected to alter the nation’s political dynamics.
The leadership transition was revealed at a special gathering at the Petaling Jaya Performing Arts Centre, ending weeks of speculation over the political future of both leaders. Over the past year, Rafizi and Nik Nazmi had been seen as increasingly marginalised within PKR.
PBM, originally registered as the Malaysian United Party and founded in Penang in 2016, is now under new leadership and branding, signalling a potential strategic shift in the party’s ambitions and the broader opposition landscape. – May 17, 2026