PARTI Bersama Malaysia (Bersama) de facto leader Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli believes Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s appeal for former PKR leaders and activists to return to the party was likely directed at other figures rather than himself or Bersama co-founder Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.
Rafizi, a former PKR deputy president, said he was unsure whether Anwar had intended to include him and Nik Nazmi when referring to the party’s “old guard” in his speech at the PKR National Congress on Saturday.
“I am still young, so I suppose I do not fall into that category. I did not really look at the speech.
“I also cannot read his intentions, whether when he mentioned the ‘old guard’, he was referring to me and Nik Nazmi.
“Or I am more inclined to think that he was referring to groups such as Tian Chua, Dr Xavier Jayakumar and some of those who were together with Datuk Seri Azmin Ali before, not us,” he said at Bersama’s Melaka state election candidate announcement in Batu Berendam on Saturday.
Anwar had apologised and appealed to former PKR leaders and activists to return to the party’s fold during his opening speech at the PKR National Congress.
His remarks came after several former PKR figures, including Tian Chua and Xavier Jayakumar, were seen attending the congress.
PKR Women’s Information chief Ginie Lim had also posted photographs of herself with Tian Chua and Xavier at the event.
Meanwhile, Rafizi said Bersama was taking a long-term approach to building a progressive political movement rather than seeking political power in the short term.
He said the party needed to develop its strength from the grassroots independently if it was to have a meaningful impact on the people.
“For me, for Bersama to have a significant impact in serving the people, Bersama must have strength from the grassroots.
“And that strength can only be built when we enter independently and do not depend on the strength of others.
“When we are forced to build strength because we are fighting on our own and do not depend on a coalition, we have to move faster and do it more quickly.
“So, political cooperation and political strategy are simply not in Bersama’s vocabulary,” he said. - August 16, 2026
