PKR’s Saifuddin not sidelined or demoted, analysts say

 

Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has relinquished his post as PKR secretary-general but remains PH secretary-general, a member of the party’s political bureau, and a member of the unity government’s leadership council. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: 

Political analysts have downplayed Saifuddin Nasution Ismail’s relinquishing of his PKR secretary-general’s post, with one pundit saying it does not indicate a rift between him and party president Anwar Ibrahim.

Oh Ei Sun of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs believes the appointment of former Kuantan MP Fuziah Salleh to the post was simply a 

routine change of cast

 within the party, aimed at giving a new set of leaders more prominent roles.

“Saifuddin has always been Anwar’s loyal follower, and he obeys Anwar’s decisions. There is no rumour of a rift between Saifuddin and Anwar. 

I don’t think Saifuddin is deliberately being sidelined. It’s just that the party needs to refresh itself, for example, with a potentially more outspoken secretary-general, if Fuziah’s performance during the previous Lynas saga was any hint,

 Oh told FMT.

Likewise, Akademi Nusantara’s Azmi Hassan does not see the move as a demotion for Saifuddin given he has retained his position as Pakatan Harapan’s secretary-general.

Nonetheless, he was surprised to see Saifuddin, the home minister, let go of such an important position in the party.

Azmi believes the change is intended to bolster and streamline PKR’s machinery at the grassroot level.

PKR announced the change on Saturday, pointing out that Saifuddin remains PH secretary-general, a member of PKR’s political bureau, and a member of the unity government’s leadership council.

First appointed PKR secretary-general in 2010, Saifuddin, 60, served as MP for Machang from 2008 to 2013, but lost the seat in the 2013 election.

He won the Kulim-Bandar Baharu parliamentary seat five years later, but lost it at the 15th general election in 2022 to Bersatu’s Roslan Hashim, who secured a 13,061-vote majority.

The former Umno Youth leader had vied for the PKR deputy presidency several months earlier, but lost to Rafizi Ramli, after which he was reappointed the party’s secretary-general.

Meanwhile, both Oh and Azmi expect Saifuddin to continue serving in Anwar’s Cabinet despite no longer holding a senior position in PKR.

Azmi does not expect Fuziah, the deputy domestic trade and cost of living minister, to be promoted to a more senior position within the Cabinet, although Oh predicted it is bound to happen at some point.

This is in line with promoting more female party leaders,

 said Oh.

He said any promotion for Fuziah is unlikely to be at Saifuddin’s expense, saying the Anwar loyalist is likely to retain a seat in the Cabinet.

Last month, FMT quoted two sources as saying that another Cabinet reshuffle was on the cards with a prominent minister from PKR expected to be moved to another ministry or dropped altogether.

A menteri besar appears set to take on a ministerial post, a move which had been talked about prior to an earlier reshuffle which took place in December last year. - FMT