Rafizi formally steps down, triggers possible by-election and political ripples

 

FORMER ECONOMY minister and Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli has formally resigned as a Member of Parliament, vacating his seat in a move that could trigger a major political realignment ahead of the next general election.

In a statement today, Rafizi said he had submitted his resignation letter to Dewan Rakyat Speaker Johari Abdul, informing Parliament of his decision to step down as MP for Pandan.

“With this, I am vacating the Pandan parliamentary seat following my intention to explore a new political agenda,” he said.

Rafizi added that returning the mandate to voters was the “proper and honourable” move, as he had originally won the seat under the PH banner during the last general election.

The move comes just a day after Rafizi and former natural resources and environmental sustainability minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad announced they were leaving PKR and taking over Parti Bersama Malaysia, also known as Bersama, marking a dramatic break from the party they had long been associated with.

Both leaders said they would vacate their parliamentary seats before formally joining Bersama, a sequencing widely seen as an attempt to avoid triggering anti-party hopping complications and potential legal repercussions under party agreements.

His farewell post on X has since attracted a good deal of positive feedback from netizens.

“It’s sad, but its for the best,” said @DeeboRajaRImba while @MYKokuih claimed he would have voted for Rafizi if he was in Pandan.

Netizen @nas_hj_ibrahim openly declared his support too but lamented that this is going to be suicide.

But @AhmadSahidah is not so easily impressed.

Check out this photo comment from @KuZekAiman too:

Rafizi had been widely viewed as one of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s most prominent lieutenants and, at one point, a potential successor within PKR.

However, his relationship with the party leadership appeared to deteriorate after losing the PKR deputy presidency to Nurul Izzah Anwar in internal party polls last year.

The defeat ultimately led to his resignation from the Cabinet in 2025, after which he became increasingly vocal in criticising the Madani administration. His departure is therefore expected to reverberate far beyond Pandan.

Political observers are likely to view the move as more than a simple resignation, but rather the opening salvo of a broader attempt to carve out an alternative progressive political vehicle outside PKR.

In his statement, Rafizi said his service centre would continue operating as usual to assist constituents. He also confirmed plans to contest Pandan again under the Bersama platform in the next election.

“I would like to thank the voters of Pandan who elected me to represent them in Parliament for two terms,” he said.

The resignation now puts focus on whether a by-election will be called, although parliamentary procedures first require formal notification and recognition of the vacancy by the Speaker’s office.

As of earlier today, officials reportedly said no formal notice had yet been received.

With Rafizi now outside PKR and openly launching a new political platform, the development could intensify speculation over fractures within the ruling coalition and complicate the political calculus heading into the next general election. — Focus Malaysia