Rise above narrow party interests, says Wan Azizah

PKR leaders says Sarawak elections were the toughest yet, urging electoral reforms before next general election.

PETALING JAYA: PKR president Wan Azizah Wan Ismail has urged political parties to overcome narrow party interests for the sake of national unity, and called for self-reflection within the party.

Wan Azizah said the Sarawak elections had been the most difficult so far. PKR retained three seats in the Sarawak state assembly but its other 37 candidates lost.

PKR and the DAP, which retained seven seats but lost five, had faced each other in six seats after the failure of negotiations on a united electoral front.

Wan Azizah, who is parliamentary opposition leader, urged opposition parties to remain steadfast in the fight for a free and fair general election.

She congratulated Chief Minister Adenan Satem on his victory and looked forward to his promises of reforms. Barisan Nasional secured 72 seats in the 82-seat state assembly.

Meanwhile Wan Azizah’s daugher, PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar, lamented the “strangulation of democracy” with massive open electoral misdeeds at the Sarawak elections.

“The continued gerrymandering through arbitrary redelineation exercise, the blatant use of government machinery, vote buying, on the spot allocations, promises of unfettered future spending, vanishing indelible ink and limited media access are symptomatic of the failings of democratic governance and an uneven level playing field,” Nurul Izzah said.

She echoed Wan Azizah’s call for electoral reforms, saying that Malaysia would continue its decline into autocracy and illegitimacy if no reforms are made.

“The skewed redelienation process will end up crushing more opposition held seats in other states throughout Malaysia.

She said Adenan has much to celebrate but his victory would have been more legitimate with a fair redelineation of seats and an electoral process which accorded fair treatment and coverage to all parties.