NO one, not even Rafizi Ramli, had imagined he would be the most powerful deputy president that PKR had ever seen.

But that seems to be the case after his team swept up two-thirds of the 20 central leadership council slots at the party congress last weekend.

It means that those aligned with him not only control 75% of divisions in the country, they also dominate the central leadership.

What an amazing comeback it has been for the man whom many said went into “sulking mode” after losing the very same post to Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali in 2019.

But as Rafizi assured Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim at the congress, he is not at all like Mohamed Azmin. He will not indulge in sweet talk, then stab his president in the back.

That must have been quite reassuring for Anwar who has been backstabbed too many times, including by none other than Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

But can Anwar be truly comfortable with such a powerful No 2?

No president of any political party can ever feel secure with a younger deputy who is smart, dynamic and bursting with ideas.

Moreover, Rafizi is hailed by people outside the party as some kind of knight on a white horse to lead the Opposition out of its quagmire.

“The win was quite overwhelming, it’s a sign that people in the party want to see a change in direction,” said a Rafizi ally.

Anwar had a taste of things to come on the very first day of the congress.

Rafizi was like a magnet for the media and his critical remarks about those who blindly defend the president were startling, to say the least.

That was akin to drawing the sword before the congress had even begun and it seemed like Rafizi has issues with the circle around Anwar.

It was rather provocative but a hint of what the new deputy president would be like - bold, audacious and certainly not a yes-man.

Rafizi is more mellowed, mature and able to look at issues in the bigger picture but he can also be quite unpredictable.

“There was a lot to take in over the last few days but Anwar took the elder statesman approach. Anwar will be able to manage the party and his deputy, he will call the shots,” said Sungai Buloh division chief Sivara Rasiah.

Anwar is now surrounded by people aligned with Rafizi but he is determined to be the adult in the room.

“As long as the factions can sit at the same table, it will be fine. Today we saw the party starting to move as one,” said Sivarasa who is also Sungai Buloh MP.

The exit of Mohamed Azmin and his supporters in 2020 left a big vacuum in the party leadership but the leadership council is complete once again.

And for the first time, the council includes two mentris besar - Datuk Seri Amiruddin Shari of Selangor and Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun of Negri Sembilan.

Newly-elected central leadership council member David Cheong said everyone at the congress wants the party to stay united.

“They want to see the top two work together. I could see it on their faces when Anwar and Rafizi held hands on stage,” said Cheong, who is also deputy Kuala Langat chief.

This is the last congress before the general election, yet there was not enough focus on the political battle ahead.

Much of the debate was stuck on what happened during the just concluded party election which has left scars, especially among those who lost.

Even those calling for a closing of ranks were actually griping about campaign issues.

The rivalry, suspicions and resentment will take some time to die down and that is why many political parties avoid party elections ahead of a general election.

There is already speculation that the circle around Rafizi wants him to contest a state seat in Selangor because they think he is a worthy mentri besar candidate.

However, no matter how powerful the new deputy president may be, the real power lies with the president.

Anwar in his closing speech at the congress warned members that whatever their status in the party, they would not be considered as candidates in the general election if they continued to clash with each other.

It was a less than subtle reminder that he is the one who has the final say on election candidates, the one who will sign the “watikah” or authorisation letter.

He still holds the most powerful tool in the party and everyone, including the deputy president, will have to play ball with him.

https://www.thestar.com.my/opinion/columnists/analysis/2022/07/18/rafizi---too-powerful-for-comfort