Anwar denies rift with Zahid at PKR congress
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- Anwar Ibrahim dismissed claims of a rift with Deputy PM Zahid Hamidi at PKR's 2026 national congress in Melaka, framing Khairy Jamaluddin's allegation as his personal opinion driven by a "confrontational approach" versus Anwar's own "peaceful approach."
- Khairy Jamaluddin said on his Keluar Sekejap podcast that trust between Anwar and Zahid had hit its lowest point since the unity government's 2022 formation — a claim Anwar rejected outright.
- Anwar said his relationship with Zahid remained good at the national level, acknowledging only some state-level differences that he called "normal," while publicly thanking Zahid and Barisan Nasional for their role in forming the unity government.
- The friction traces to the recent Negri Sembilan election, where Barisan's decision to work with Perikatan Nasional was seen as straining ties with Pakatan Harapan and triggered six PKR branch chiefs (Jelebu, Rembau, Seremban, Rasah, Kuala Pilah, Tampin) to call for a review of state leadership council chairman Aminuddin Harun.
- Anwar told delegates he would "not grieve" over PKR's poor performance in the Negri Sembilan and Johor elections, urging the central leadership council to listen and be prepared to change rather than "lecture" — saying the party of reforms must learn from "betrayal along the way."
Why it matters: The unity government's coalition cohesion is being stress-tested after back-to-back electoral losses in Negri Sembilan and Johor; Anwar's public denial of a Zahid rift coexists with an admission that Barisan's Perikatan alliance in Negri Sembilan is actively straining ties with his own Pakatan Harapan.
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