KUALA LUMPUR, March 20 — Economy Minister Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli will defend his position as PKR deputy president in the party elections scheduled for May 24.

He said the decision was made to avoid internal party conflicts that could negatively impact the Unity Government leadership.

“If someone like me were to say that I am not interested and want to do something else, it would create too much drama within the government at a time when we really need to hold on for the next two to three years.

“So, whether fortunate or not, I have to endure and will still contest,” he told reporters after launching the Mid-Term Review of the National Oil & Gas Services and Equipment (OGSE) Industry Action Plan 2021-2030 today.

Rafizi has held the No. 2 party post since wresting it from Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail in the 2022 PKR elections.

The Pandan MP previously contested the position in 2018 but lost to Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali.

Rafizi said PKR’s primary focus in these party polls is to ensure the democratic process operates maturely and healthily while upholding PKR’s commitment to its role in government.

“I don’t think the public wants to see too much drama from any political party. We should focus on the possibility of achieving high-income nation status by 2028,” he said. — Bernama