Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is facing increasing political pressure after a series of defections from his People’s Justice Party (PKR) to a new political party formed by his former ally, Rafizi Ramli. Political analysts and lawmakers believe the growing unrest within the ruling alliance could create uncertainty ahead of a possible early general election.

Anwar became prime minister in November 2022 after spending more than 20 years in the opposition while campaigning against corruption and pushing for reforms. His leadership brought political stability to Malaysia after years of uncertainty. However, his government has recently come under criticism over concerns related to anti-corruption efforts, delays in institutional reforms, and rising tensions inside the ruling coalition.

The latest challenge emerged after Rafizi Ramli, who previously served as economic minister and was once viewed as a possible successor to Anwar, announced earlier this month that he would leave PKR. He also said he would resign from parliament and lead a smaller political party called Malaysia United Party, or Bersama.

Since Rafizi’s announcement, Bersama has reportedly received more than 18,000 membership applications. According to the party, nearly one-third of those applications came from former PKR members. Although most of the defectors are local party officials and ordinary members, the numbers have raised concerns about Anwar’s political strength.

Malaysia’s anti-party-hopping law prevents lawmakers from changing political parties while holding office. Because of this, the defections do not immediately threaten Anwar’s parliamentary majority. Still, political observers believe the internal divisions could weaken PKR’s position if the country heads into a snap election.

Hassan Abdul Karim, a PKR lawmaker and longtime supporter of Anwar, publicly expressed disappointment over the growing crisis within the party. In a social media post on Thursday, he said he had stopped trying to prevent members from leaving because party leaders were ignoring their concerns. While he said he still believed in PKR, he described the party as “hurt, wounded and critically injured.”

Hassan also told Reuters that Bersama could attract strong support from undecided voters, younger people, and those mainly focused on economic issues. He warned, "If more PKR members of parliament who support Rafizi leave the party, Anwar will lose legitimacy as prime minister."

Anwar’s office did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment regarding the situation.

Meanwhile, PKR leaders have tried to downplay reports of a major exodus from the party. PKR secretary-general Fuziah Salleh, who also serves as deputy minister, told Reuters there was “no noticeable ⁠exodus of members leaving PKR to join Bersama”.

Government spokesperson and PKR information chief Fahmi Fadzil also rejected claims of a mass departure. He said around 5,000 people had joined PKR during the past two months and added that the party’s total membership remained above one million.

Despite these assurances, analysts believe the internal conflict could still damage Anwar politically. Bridget Welsh, a political analyst at the University of Nottingham Asia, said the divisions within PKR could reduce the party’s chances of improving its electoral performance in future polls. She also said the situation could affect Anwar’s hopes of securing a second term as prime minister.

Welsh stated, "Equally important, are perceptions of how Anwar is managing his own party, as problems within PKR do not reflect well."

Malaysia’s next general election is officially due by early 2028. However, Anwar recently said he may consider holding a snap election if divisions within the government continue to grow. This statement has increased speculation that national polls could happen much earlier than expected.

According to two lawmakers who spoke to Reuters in March, the government could call elections as early as July so they can take place alongside several state polls expected in the coming months.

The political uncertainty has also been linked to wider dissatisfaction among some reform-minded allies of Anwar’s government. Concerns have reportedly increased over the administration’s handling of a controversy involving the country’s anti-graft agency. At the same time, parties within the ruling alliance have occasionally disagreed on sensitive ethnic and religious matters in Malaysia, which is a multi-racial and Muslim-majority nation.

The tensions inside PKR became more visible this week after 21 local party members announced they were immediately leaving the party. In a joint statement released on Monday, they said, "We believe that a political party must practise the values of reform and democracy that it proclaims to the people. Unfortunately, we no longer see these principles being practised consistently in PKR today."

Several regional PKR leaders also resigned this month. One of them reportedly said Rafizi’s Bersama represented a continuation of PKR’s original ideals and reformist vision.

Although Anwar still holds a parliamentary majority for now, the growing dissatisfaction within his own party has created fresh doubts about the stability of his leadership. The coming months are expected to be crucial for Malaysia’s political future as attention remains focused on whether the ruling coalition can remain united ahead of the next election.