Anwar’s greatest legacy – Nurul

After Reformasi and his Herculean task of putting together Pakatan, he must now make ready his daughter to take his place in PKR and hopefully within government.

The momentum from Pakatan Rakyat’s massive political inroads at the 12th general election reached its defining moment when Zaid Ibrahim submitted an application to the Registrar of Societies on Nov 4, 2009 for DAP, PKR and PAS to be registered as a legal entity under Pakatan Rakyat.

PKR being PKR, predictably on the very next day, Nov 5, its MP for Batu, Tian Chua unnecessarily announced “…..the constitution, logo and leadership, will be decided when the registration is approved. Who holds what position will be decided at a much later stage.”

Presumably, this was to grandstand Anwar Ibrahim’s role as leader of Pakatan and preempting Zaid’s designs (if any!) to lead the coalition during the process of its formation.

Tian wanted it to be known that Anwar, and not Zaid, was Pakatan’s head. He, and not Zaid strategised Pakatan’s registration as a legal entity.

And since then, this one upmanship within PKR marred all things PKR and caused the Pakatan juggernaut against Barisan Nasional to stumble and at times stagnate!

Overt conflicts and public spats amongst PKR leaders ultimately descended into the farce of rampant fraud and malpractice that was the PKR party election in November 2010. Neither Anwar, Azmin Ali or any of the PKR leaders were convicted of these fraud and malpractices during the party elections.

When the dust settled, Anwar was leader and Azmin his number two. Zaid subsequently quit PKR, presumably to seek greener pastures – a hard thing to do in a paddock the size of Malaysia. It would seem that what happened in Umno does not stay in Umno. Not when the same Umno players are newborn again politicians in PKR.

Since then PKR has been lurching from one unmitigated disaster to another – it’s most public of humiliation was the defection of five MPs last year to the land of plenty!

PKR however admitted that it had “an acute internal problem”…though I thought “terminal if not treated” would have been a more appropriate prognosis of its condition.

So wither PKR now?

What PKR needs to understand is this: When you have as the core principle of your party’s ideology the promotion of social justice, economic justice, the elimination of political corruption and human rights within a non-ethnic framework, you better well deliver on that! If you do not then you have failed yourself and abused the trust placed upon you by the people.

But we Malaysians are a forgiving lot. We want PKR to turn the corner towards Putrajaya with a pledge to honour its commitment to “a society that is just and a nation that is democratic, progressive and united.”

And this pledge is to be honoured and not just uttered. It must be confirmed in deeds and not just with superficial banalities that dazzle but does naught. And most crucial of all, the change within PKR is real.

As PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution said “we will be putting up younger, skilful candidates with no political baggage”, this would be a good start.

Younger, skilful candidates with no political baggage… and none exemplify this maxim then your vice-president, Nurrul Izzah.

Carrying no political baggage when your father is de facto opposition leader and your mother is president of PKR is no mean feat!

I was living in Bangsar Permai in Jalan Tandok during the 2008 election when Nurrul contested the seat of Lembah Pantai against an incumbent three-termed Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, who for good measure, was also a minister.

I remembered it as if it was yesterday. Bangsar was having a ball – a carnival of sorts ready to celebrate Shahrizat’s victory with the mamak restaurants raking in the money as crowds milled around waiting for kingdom come for Nurul. Kingdom did come but for Shahrizat.

And from that day on Nurrul has been that bright spark within PKR – always threatening to blaze its path to where Anwar has always wanted it to go: Putrajaya.

She must lead

If PKR is to rebuild its fortunes and win back the reserve of goodwill that lies with the people – she must lead.

Just think of the critical mass PKR will have come its way when the young and females identify themselves with Nurul as she steps up to take responsibility for turning PKR around the corner towards Putrajaya.

That alone should be reason enough for PKR to consider her place in the scheme of things to come.

But Nurul alone is not PKR. PKR is the sum of what its leaders and its follower want it to be. And that is the worrying aspect of what PKR has become.

Where is the cohesion within PKR? Everybody is doing his or her own thing. Everyone is talking about the election. Nobody has a plan. Everybody wants to be a leader.

Suggestions are not welcome and no, I am not only talking about PKR’s ordinary members, the same can be said of its leaders.

Do you think Khalid Ibrahim will still helm Selangor after the 13th general election? Or more to the point does Khalid want to helm Selangor again?

Will Nurul win again in Lembah Pantai? Not if Raja Nong Chik has his way! And he has pretty much had his way with Lembah Pantai to the extent that PKR would have to think seriously about allowing Nurul to contest there again!

His ability to understand what needs to be done within PKR to ready itself for the coming 13th general election will define Anwar’s legacy to us all.

After Reformasi and his Herculean task of putting together Pakatan, he must now make ready his daughter to take his place in PKR and hopefully within government.

Anwar do not fail us, do not fail her!

CT Ali is a reformist who believes in Pakatan Rakyat’s ideologies. He is a FMT columnist.