Two Malaysian MPs quit Parliament as political crisis deepens in Anwar’s ruling coalition

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA: Two senior Malaysian lawmakers resigned from Parliament on 18 May 2026 after leaving Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s ruling coalition, intensifying political uncertainty within the country’s unity government amid growing speculation of a snap general election.

Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad confirmed in a joint statement that they had submitted resignation letters to Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Dato’ Dr Johari Abdul.

Rafizi, a former economy minister and former deputy president of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), said his resignation from Parliament took immediate effect.

“This notice is submitted to YB Tan Sri in fulfilment of the requirements of the Malaysian Constitution, so that further action may be taken,” Rafizi wrote in his letter to the Speaker.

“I would like to express my gratitude to YB Tan Sri and all Parliament staff who have assisted me throughout my two terms serving as a Member of the Dewan Rakyat.”

The resignations came days after the two politicians formally exited PKR and announced plans to pursue what they described as a new political agenda through Parti Bersama Malaysia, also known as Bersama.

The party uses blue and yellow as its colours and features a “kancil”, or mousedeer, in its logo, referencing the animal’s reputation in Malay folklore for cunning and intelligence.

Rafizi is expected to assume leadership of Bersama following the party’s handover ceremony involving founder Tan Gin Theam.

Bersama was registered in Penang in 2016 and emerged as a splinter movement linked to the Malaysian Chinese Association.

Returning mandate to voters

In their joint statement, Rafizi and Nik Nazmi said resigning from Parliament was the “proper and honourable step” because they had originally won their seats under the Pakatan Harapan coalition banner during the last general election.

“The proper and honourable step is to return the mandate to the voters in the Pandan and Setiawangsa constituencies, considering that we were elected under the Pakatan Harapan banner in the last general election,” the statement said.

The pair also thanked constituents who supported them during two parliamentary terms.

“We express our deepest gratitude to the voters of Pandan and Setiawangsa who chose us to represent them in Parliament for two terms,” they said.

Both politicians said their service centres would continue operating to assist residents despite the resignations.

They also confirmed plans to defend their constituencies again under the Bersama platform in the next election.

The departures are expected to trigger by-elections in the Pandan and Setiawangsa parliamentary seats, potentially testing public support for both the ruling coalition and the newly expanded Bersama movement.

Break with PKR leadership

Rafizi and Nik Nazmi suffered defeats during PKR’s internal party elections in May 2025, developments that eventually led to their resignations from the federal Cabinet.

Rafizi lost the party’s deputy presidency while Nik Nazmi failed to retain his vice-presidential position.

The internal elections were reportedly marred by allegations of vote-rigging, although no official findings were publicly announced.

PKR secretary-general Fuziah Salleh said on 17 May 2026 that the two politicians had effectively ceased to be members of the party following their decision to leave.

Rafizi later said existing political parties had failed to address mounting economic pressures faced by younger Malaysians, including rising living costs and wage stagnation.

“Nik Nazmi, myself and other colleagues agreed to do a kamikaze. The current generation – Gen Z, Gen Alpha and Gen Beta – needs a choice,” Rafizi told supporters during a political gathering attended by thousands.

The term “kamikaze” is commonly used in Malaysian politics to describe smaller political parties contesting outside the dominant coalitions, often at the risk of losing electoral deposits after failing to secure enough votes.

Nik Nazmi also criticised Pakatan Harapan’s political messaging, accusing coalition leaders of relying on fear-based campaigning.

“What concerns the people, especially the youngsters, is that leaders are always circumventing and delaying their promises of reform,” he told supporters.

Growing bloc of dissenters

The political event also featured several other MPs previously associated with PKR, including Wong Chen, Lee Chean Chung, Rodziah Ismail, S. Kesavan, Zahir Hassan and Datuk Baktiar Wan Chik.

While they expressed support for Rafizi and Nik Nazmi’s move, none formally announced plans to join Bersama.

Rafizi has become an increasingly vocal critic of Anwar’s leadership since losing the PKR deputy presidency in 2025.

His criticism intensified after allegations emerged surrounding internal party elections and broader frustrations among reformist supporters within the ruling coalition.

The former economy minister also participated in a rally in April 2026 demanding the resignation of Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief Tan Sri Azam Baki.

The protest centred on allegations involving a so-called “corporate mafia”, referring to claims that enforcement agencies, particularly the MACC, had abused investigative powers to pressure or extort corporate figures.

Separate from the rally, Rafizi is currently under MACC investigation over alleged abuse of power and procedural irregularities linked to a RM1.1 billion (approx. US$276 million) deal involving the Malaysian government and British semiconductor company Arm Holdings.

The strategic collaboration agreement was negotiated during Rafizi’s tenure as economy minister.

Snap election concerns deepen

The resignations came as tensions continued to grow between Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional (BN), the two main blocs underpinning Malaysia’s unity government formed after the 2022 hung parliament.

Anwar recently signalled that Malaysia could face an early general election if disputes between the coalition partners worsened.

Speaking at a Pakatan Harapan convention in Johor Bahru, Anwar warned that if BN pursued a “confrontational” approach ahead of the next Johor state election, Pakatan Harapan would respond firmly and could seek a fresh national mandate from voters.

The dispute was triggered by BN’s decision to contest the upcoming Johor election independently instead of cooperating with Pakatan Harapan.

The disagreement has exposed growing strains within the coalition government over electoral strategy, state-level political cooperation and the long-term future of the alliance.

Despite defending his administration’s reform agenda and economic performance, Anwar acknowledged that compromises within the coalition remained necessary to preserve political stability.

The sudden parliamentary resignations by Rafizi and Nik Nazmi are likely to intensify scrutiny over the durability of Anwar’s administration as Malaysia’s political landscape becomes increasingly fragmented ahead of the next national polls.