The recent PKR divisional elections, held on April 12 across Selangor, Melaka, and Perlis, brought a mix of familiar victories and unexpected shake-ups, offering a glimpse into how the party’s grassroots sentiment is evolving.
Two of PKR’s top names—Economy Minister Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli and Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari—comfortably held on to their posts. Rafizi defended his position as Pandan division chief with 883 votes, defeating Shahrom Musa (444 votes), while Amirudin was returned unopposed as Gombak division chief.
One of the more interesting wins came from Ampang, where rapper-turned-politician Altimet (Syed Ahmad Syed Abdul Rahman Alhadad) secured the division chief role. He beat two challengers, economist Azrul Azwar Ahmad Tajudin and Bukit Antarabangsa assemblyperson Kamri Kamaruddin.
Other uncontested wins included Deputy Minister R. Ramanan in Sungai Buloh and former Bukit Lanjan rep Elizabeth Wong in Damansara.
Biggest Upset: Shah Alam
Perhaps the most talked-about result was in Shah Alam, where Kota Anggerik assemblyman Najwan Halimi unseated incumbent division chief, Ampang MP Rodziah Ismail. Najwan, formerly the deputy chief, won with 1,213 votes, defeating Rodziah (899 votes) and a third contender, Noryzal Zainal Abidin (513 votes).
Najwan described the win as a call for generational change and more dynamic leadership. Despite his victory, he acknowledged that many of his team’s candidates lost to those aligned with Rodziah. One of the few exceptions was Kota Damansara assemblyperson Izuan Ahmad Kasim, who won the Shah Alam PKR Youth chief post.
Rodziah, however, isn’t out of the spotlight—she’s still contesting for the PKR Women’s Chief post, taking on Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek for the second time.
Mixed Outcomes Across Selangor
A number of PKR assemblypersons successfully defended their division chief positions:
– Borhan Aman Shah (Sepang – Tanjung Sepat)
– Altimet (Ampang – Lembah Jaya)
– Gunarajah George (Kapar – Sentosa)
– Azmizam Zamanhuri (Klang – Pelabuhan Kelang)
Meanwhile, in Selayang, Rawang assemblyperson Chua Wei Kiat failed to take over from outgoing MP William Leong. Kamarudin Hussain won the division chief post with 2,041 votes, followed by Chua with 1,648.
Melaka & Perlis: New Alignments
In Melaka, Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin—Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s senior political secretary—secured the Hang Tuah Jaya division chief post. However, Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Adam Adli didn’t fare as well, losing his bid for the division’s deputy chief role with 791 votes to Zamzizul Nordin’s 1,905.
Up north in Perlis, former Kangar MP Noor Amin Ahmad won the Kangar division chief post, defeating Gan Ay Ling, who received 1,059 votes.
A Glimpse into PKR’s Grassroots
Selangor alone saw voting across 22 divisions, involving over 92,000 registered members. While some results reflected continuity in leadership, others pointed to growing calls for renewal within the party.
The elections may not have drastically changed the party’s national leadership, but at the ground level, they offered insight into shifting loyalties, rising figures, and the dynamics shaping PKR’s future.
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