Parti Bersama Malaysia founder and president Tan Gin Theam handed over its registration certificate to Rafizi and Nik Nazmi at the PJ Performing Arts Centre in front of more than 2,000 supporters this afternoon.
The decision to take over an existing party comes less than a month after Rafizi, the Pandan MP and former PKR deputy president, said he was looking for the best way to push for reforms, whether within the party or outside of it.
Rafizi and Nik Nazmi, the Setiawangsa MP, resigned as economy minister and natural resources and environmental sustainability minister, respectively, in May 2025.
This came after Rafizi lost the PKR deputy president’s post to Nurul Izzah Anwar in the party elections. His running mate, Nik Nazmi, also failed to retain his vice-presidency.
Rafizi’s ties with the PKR leadership turned frosty after the PKR polls in May 2025 and he has been publicly critical of the government and the party since.
He had previously hinted at leaving PKR after Parliament is dissolved to defend his Pandan seat, and even survived an attempt to remove him as Pandan PKR chief at the division’s annual general meeting in April.
Parti Bersama Malaysia or Parti MU was first registered in Penang on Dec 2, 2016.
It was established as a third force to serve as a check and balance for both the ruling party and the opposition.
Also present at the event were PKR MPs, Wong Chen (Subang) and Lee Chean Chung (Petaling Jaya).