Prime Minister and PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said today he was not informed of any invitation extended to former PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali to rejoin the party. He made the remarks after officiating the National Innovation and Commercialisation Expo (NICE) 2026 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre on 27 August 2026 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6].
"Has anyone invited him? Was there an invitation? I was not informed," Anwar said when asked about reports suggesting Azmin was invited back to PKR [1]. He questioned whether Azmin qualifies as an "otai" or veteran of the Reformasi movement whose return has been welcomed by the party, asking, "Yes, otai. Is he (Azmin) an otai?" [2, 3].
Azmin Ali, who is currently secretary-general of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu), has ruled out returning to PKR despite news of other former PKR leaders receiving invitations to rejoin. He publicly stated on 25 August that he would not return to PKR [1, 3, 4].
Several other former PKR leaders have reportedly accepted or confirmed their return, including former Bandar Tun Razak MP Datuk Kamarudin Jaffar, former Nibong Tebal MP Datuk Mansor Othman, and former vice-president Datuk Dr Xavier Jayakumar [1, 4, 6].
Azmin was expelled from PKR in February 2020 following his involvement in the Sheraton Move, a political realignment that caused the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan government [3, 5, 6].
Anwar's remarks today clarify that no invitation to Azmin has been conveyed to him or coordinated through the PKR leadership. The returns of other former PKR figures continue amid the party's ongoing efforts to rebuild its ranks after recent political shifts.
Anwar Ibrahim’s comments came during media interactions on 27 August after the NICE 2026 event, marking a clear delineation of the party’s stance on Azmin Ali’s membership status [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6].
