WHEN PKR’s Rafizi Ramli founded Invoke two years ago, the idea was to provide data analytics and assistance for then opposition politicians to capture federal power.

Since winning Putrajaya for PKR and its Pakatan Harapan allies, Rafizi stands to reap more out of his investment in Invoke, as he battles for the deputy presidency in party elections next month.

Rafizi’s bid to oust incumbent Mohamed Azmin Ali is likely to succeed, said supporters, as the vice-president enjoys strong grassroots backing.

Younger members and fence-sitters are impressed over Invoke’s success and the reputation Rafizi as its chief has built for himself.

Outgoing PKR Youth chief Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, who is in Rafizi’s team, said younger voters and fence-sitters appreciate Invoke’s role and Rafizi’s work in giving youth room for involvement and in his crusades against corruption.

Because of Invoke, many youth became involved in politics and opted to join PKR, said Nik Nazmi, the Setiawangsa MP running for a spot in the party’s central leadership council.

“Rafizi has had a huge impact on people outside the party. He spoke up on issues such as 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) and on the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC).

“Then he used Invoke for those who were not involved in politics to become involved in the election process.

“And after that, on their own, many joined PKR,” Nik Nazmi told The Malaysian Insight.

According to past reports, Rafizi spent RM787,049 of his own money to start and fund Invoke, before it was able to secure grants. 

Formed as a civil society organisation, it was kept separate from PKR but helped some of the party’s politicians with surveys on voter sentiment and managed their campaigns.

It also recruited and trained polling agents and counting agents to serve on polling day and has details on thousands of volunteers who canvassed for votes and did data entry in preparation for the 14th general election.

“The success of Invoke shows Rafizi’s capability, besides the fact that he is not afraid of taking on corruption. When people ask what he has done, (we say) he is the one behind Invoke, and Invoke helped to win the general election,” said Rafizi supporter and Kelana Jaya MP Wong Chen.

The party elections between September 14 and October 7 will see an additional 300,000 new members who registered between May 9 and June 26, many of them said to have joined via Invoke.

In total, more than 800,000 members can vote in the party elections.

The former Pandan MP will face Azmin in a hotly contest fight which is already raising eyebrows over his team’s aggressive campaign against the latter.

Rafizi’s team has adopted the slogan “20 years of reformasi”, in reference to the founding years of PKR, and campaigning on the narrative that he, compared with Azmin, will be the better choice for PKR to uphold its reformist ideals.

The incumbent vice-president opted not to contest in GE14 after a conviction over leaking banking secrets related to the NFC case and a 30-month jail sentence.

Seen as a sacrificial act, the move has endeared Rafizi to supporters and youth, who feel he now deserves to be Anwar Ibrahim’s number two in the party. 

Burhanuddin Roslan from Kelantan said the evidence of Rafizi’s sacrifice was in his starting up Invoke, giving up his secretary-general post and forgoing the chance to contest in GE14.

“He also took the risk of going to jail over revealing corruption in NFC,” said Burhanuddin, who is on Rafizi’s campaign secretariat in Kelantan.

Among youth, Rafizi’s legacy has been to pave the way for young adults to be involved in politics, said Youth exco candidate Fahmi Zainol.

“He has opened the way and through Invoke, prepared a path for youth to be in politics. 

“They held training sessions at the state level and among undergraduates. I think many of those who went for these sessions have now joined the party and are contesting as branch chiefs,” Fahmi said.

Socio-political analyst Dr Awang Pawi Awang Azman from Universiti Malaya said Rafizi would pose a tough challenge to Azmin, who is also economic affairs minister.

“The more than 800,000 members who can vote in these elections is more than Azmin’s camp can control,” he said.

While Azmin may have had actual experience in running a state government, Rafizi has the rough edge of rebel with a reformist cause – the kind of image and nostalgia that fires up PKR idealists.

“If Azmin says he has been menteri besar, or that he is now a senior minister, that is his call card. For Rafizi, his call card is Invoke’s success and his fight against corruption until now,” said Wong. – August 21, 2018.