KUALA LUMPUR, May 9 -- Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli has confirmed that he will defend his PKR deputy president post in the May 23 election, while reiterating his welcome for a contest to strengthen internal democracy.

Rafizi said he officially submitted his nomination form today and looked forward to engaging with members as part of a nationwide tour to promote reformist ideals.

"As I've said before, I welcome any candidate who wishes to run, as this will further ignite the spirit of democracy within the party," he said in a statement.

He also announced a series of engagements under the Hidupkan Idealisme Reformasi Dalam Ujian Kuasa (HIRUK) banner, which he described as a platform to ensure PKR remains committed to its reformist foundations...