He confirmed his candidacy in a statement this evening, and said he welcomed the entry of other candidates as it would “invigorate the spirit of democracy” within the party.

Rafizi said he will embark on a cross-country tour to engage directly with party members, share perspectives, and present future plans.

The tour will embody the spirit of reformist ideals, he said, which was especially important now that PKR is in a “position of power”.

Rafizi was elected deputy president in 2022, after he defeated former party secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail. He is the minister for the economy in Anwar Ibrahim’s cabinet.

He filed his papers for the party election about an hour after Nurul Izzah registered her candidacy.

Nurul Izzah, a former MP for Permatang Pauh, did not take part in the leadership contests in 2022.

Numerous party leaders, both at the top leadership and divisional levels, had expressed their support for her current bid for the deputy presidency.

Rafizi, a two-term MP for Pandan, took a step back from active politics in December 2019 to focus on Invoke, a data company he founded that played a pivotal role in political campaigning and grassroots mobilisation.

He returned to politics in 2022 when he contested the PKR deputy president’s post for the first time.