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More than a crack? PKR faces its most serious crisis since Sheraton Move, analyst says

More than a crack? PKR faces its most serious crisis since Sheraton Move, analyst says

Sinar Daily13 hours ago
SHAH ALAM – PKR is expected to face a serious political crisis, potentially even more severe than the 'Sheraton Move', following a new movement led by Pandan MP Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli along with eight other members of parliament (MPs) from the party.
Political analyst Dr G Manimaran said the current development mirrors the situation faced by Umno between 1986 and 1988, when the party was split into two factions.
Therefore, he said, if PKR fails to manage the situation wisely and effectively, the crisis could lead to a split and have damaging consequences during the 16th General Election (GE16).
"In my view, PKR is facing one of the most significant and serious political crises in its history. Even more serious than in 2020, when the country's political landscape was shaken by the Sheraton Move.
"Overall, what PKR is going through is an unhealthy and politically disharmonious development," he said.
Manimaran added that the actions of the nine PKR MPs raise the question of whether this could be the early crack leading to a much larger split – not just for PKR, but for the unity government as a whole.
"We know the reasons and causes that led to this latest development (on Monday), taken by the nine PKR MPs.
"Is this the early fracture that could lead to greater damage for PKR and Pakatan Harapan (PH) in the next general election?" he questioned.
In this regard, he said the reality is that the situation is beginning to erode the confidence of supporters, with many PKR supporters starting to form negative perceptions of the government led by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is also the party president.
"PKR needs an effective strategy to address the current issue; otherwise, GE16, which is expected to be held soon, will become an unhealthy battleground for the party," he stressed.
Yesterday, nine PKR MPs led by the former PKR deputy president have called for a royal commission of inquiry (RCI) to investigate what they claimed were alleged irregularities in the appointment of senior judges, including the Chief Justice.
The group will formally request that proceedings and an inquiry be conducted by the Parliamentary Special Select Committee on Human Rights, Elections and Institutional Reform, with top government officials called to testify.
Rafizi outlined four key issues related to the judicial appointment controversy that have circulated in the public domain and require clarification from the government. Among them is the delay in appointing new judges to the High Court, Court of Appeal, and Federal Court, despite nominations having been submitted by the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC).
He said the JAC had finalised its nominations for the positions of Chief Justice and President of the Court of Appeal before the retirement of Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat, and the names were submitted to the Prime Minister. However, no appointments were made, leading to the current leadership vacancies.
Rafizi also claimed that a JAC meeting was convened last Friday without the mandatory 10-day notice period, allegedly to renominate candidates for the vacant top judicial posts.
He stressed that as Members of Parliament, it is their duty to uphold the independence of the judiciary and ensure the separation of powers between the executive, legislature, and judiciary.
On May 28, Rafizi submitted his resignation letter to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The resignation officially took effect on June 17, following the end of his annual leave on June 16.
In the PKR party elections held on May 23, Rafizi was defeated by Nurul Izzah Anwar, garnering 3,866 votes against her 9,803 in a direct contest for the deputy president post.
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