Stating that Rafizi is known for his controversial views, Anwar insisted that he was not hurt by the former Pandan MP’s criticism of him.

“Rafizi’s heart is in the right place. The problem is that some of our supporters are ‘dense’,” joked Anwar at the congress.

“They don’t understand that we (Rafizi and him) are in this struggle together. It’s true we may have different opinions and strong views, but he is not a traitor. He is not someone who spreads rumours, a thief or corrupt.

“We are here to fight the thieves and the corrupt. Focus your attention on that,” he told the delegates.

Rafizi had issued several statements over the past two days which have been seen as criticising Anwar.

Among them was Rafizi’s insistence that members should not give the president their blind loyalty. Instead, he told them that they should work to improve the party ahead of the next general election.

Rafizi has also said there was no need for groups surrounding Anwar to flatter him or defend him from criticism, adding that a recent survey his own firm (Invoke) conducted found that the PKR leader’s popularity was waning.

Seeming to dismiss all these, Anwar stressed that he had always been confident of Rafizi’s “extraordinary” abilities, relating how he impressed him after a National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) meeting that both leaders attended some time ago.

“I asked him to prepare a report after the meeting at night and I thought he would get it done in one or two days. But he had the report on my table by 8am the next day.”

Moving forward, Anwar said Rafizi’s first task would be to help the party’s machinery prepare for the next general election (GE15), a role he would take over from former PKR Wanita chief and election director Fuziah Salleh.