PETALING JAYA, Feb 16 (Sin Chew Daily) — Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) leaders are persuading Rafizi Ramli to return to the party leadership by contesting in the party polls in April.

A PKR senior leader aligned to Rafizi in the past did not deny that some were persuading him to return to the party to assist party president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

“We hope he will contest in the party election,” said the leader.

Another party leader who declined to be named also said insiders looked forward to Rafizi’s return.

“We would love to see him back. When he was not even a member of parliament, he took up the battle to challenge former Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali in party election in which he secured 49% of votes,” he said.

Rafizi, former PKR vice president, said he had yet to decide whether to return to politics.

Rafizi said he had received invitations to join other parties in the last two years, including Parti Warisan Sabah.

“I have yet to seriously consider returning to politics.

“I have been seeking guidance from Allah. I am also communicating with my family and listen to views from the ground. That is all I can say for now,” he said.

On his tweet about the intention must be correct to join politics, Rafizi said this is the reminder for himself.

“This is an important decision. I am not keen. Regardless of the decision, it must be based on the right reason,” he said.

The former Pandan member of parliament was sentenced to 30 months’ jail after he was found guilty of exposing confidential banking details under the Banking and Financial Institutions Act (BAFIA).

On February 7, 2018, the Shah Alam Sessions Court found him guilty of disclosing banking details relating to NFC, National Meat & Livestock Sdn Bhd, Agroscience Industries Sdn Bhd and NFC chairman Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Salleh Ismail’s bank accounts to the media at PKR headquarters at Merchant Square, Pedaling Jaya on March 7, 2012.

On November 15, 2019, Rafizi won the appeal as the High Court freed him after overturning his conviction.

On December 9, 2019, Rafizi announced quitting politics on Twitter saying he would be focusing on his new career in artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT).