DATUK Seri Rafizi Ramli has quipped that he might suffer a heart attack should he unexpectedly win the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Deputy President post in the party elections scheduled for this Friday.
Speaking at a Jelajah Hiruk event on Tuesday evening, the current PKR Deputy President said he anticipates losing to challenger Nurul Izzah Anwar, claiming the outcome has already been predetermined.
"Even though the campaign has gone well and the response has been positive—when you look at the comments from netizens and party members, 80 to 90 percent seem supportive—but if I win, I’d be jammed up.
"Because I know I won’t win. I’m not stupid. I’m not new to this—I’ve been in politics since 1999 and have been through many internal party elections.
"If I suddenly win, I might just have a heart attack. Because if I understand the way things have been arranged, the signal is clear that I’m going to lose.
"I don’t have a problem with that,” he remarked.
Rafizi asserted that any defeat would not stem from a lack of support, but rather from a flawed electoral system. Based on his grassroots support survey at the branch level, he remained confident in his ability to retain the position.
"That’s why from the beginning I told you lot (his supporters at the ceramah), be ready to chop off heads, are you willing or not?" he joked.
The Pandan MP also expressed dismay at how his outspoken nature—once celebrated when he was in opposition—is now seen negatively when directed inward at his own party.
"Don’t forget, you called me ‘sewer mouth’. When I was in the opposition, that sewer mouth of mine exposed scandal after scandal.
"You all thought it was great when the sewer mouth attacked the government and uncovered wrongdoing. PKR and Pakatan Harapan members loved it,” he said.
However, he noted a shift in sentiment now that he is vocal about shortcomings within the party itself.
"Some people sympathise with us, but when we expose and discuss our own weaknesses, suddenly the mouth has to be controlled. Not allowed anymore,” he said.
Rafizi, who also serves as Minister of Economy, reiterated that he is prepared to resign from the Cabinet should he lose the deputy presidency, in a move he described as respecting the grassroots mandate. He added that he would nonetheless continue serving as the Member of Parliament for Pandan. - May 21, 2025
