Time for Anwar to contest top party post

GEORGE TOWN: PKR Youth deputy head Dr Afif Bahardin has become the first party leader to openly urge PKR founder Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to contest the post of president in party elections to be held in August.
Afif told a media briefing that he was rooting for Anwar to become PKR president in line with the succession plan for the latter to eventually succeed Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as the nation's eighth prime minister.
Anwar's wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail is the current party president.
Her deputy is Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Azmin Ali while the vice - presidents are Anwar's daughter Nurul Izzah, Tian Chua, Shamsul Iskandar Md Akin, Rafizi Ramli, Xavier Jayakumar Arulanandam and Shaharuddin Badaruddin.
Party elections for PKR is one of the most interesting internal elections to observe up close this year in view that symbolically PKR is the strongest party in the country, said political scientist Prof Dr Sivamurugan Pandian.
PKR won the most number of seats for the Pakatan Harapan coalition, as all of the then Opposition parties had used the PKR symbol and flag as their logo and symbol in the last general election.
Pakatan Harapan ousted the long-serving Barisan Nasional coalition in a historic and landmark victory in May, only leaving BN with the states of Pahang and Perlis under their rule.
Pakatan or associates - friendly with the coalition won the remaining states except for Kelantan and Terengganu, which are under PAS rule.
Meanwhile, Afif has not ruled out the possibility of him seeking to contest the post of vice president or that of Youth head, or remain as Youth deputy head.