With a party election just around the corner, PKR faces an uphill battle as differing factions are set to battle it out in the polls.
Historically, PKR has suffered from brutal infighting between rival camps competing viciously in party polls - such as the battle for the deputy post between now-defected Azmin Ali and former Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli in 2018 - which many feared had split the party.
At present, it is believed that PKR Youth, in particular, will see two former student activists and their camps competing for the leadership posts in the coming party election.
Fahmi Zainol, a 31-year-old who’s vying for the top post, had unveiled his slate of candidates on Sunday (March 27).
The head of Penang PKR Youth is a former student leader from Universiti Malaya and once faced disciplinary action after inviting PKR president Anwar Ibrahim to speak on campus in 2014. He joined PKR in 2015.
Adam Adli, who is widely expected to contest against Fahmi in the polls, is also famed for his student activism, which led to several arrests and sedition charges. He was accepted into PKR last September alongside 19 other activists.
However, if Adam is to be nominated as a candidate, he will need to seek an exemption from a provision in the party constitution barring members with tenure less than 12 months from seeking election for a party position.
It is understood that Anwar is considering the application.
‘Not a threat to party’
When asked if the trend of declaring one’s team before the party congress takes place is a dangerous one, lawyer and PKR member Asheeq Ali Sethi Alivi told Malaysiakini that he does not perceive Fahmi’s announcement as a threat to the party.
“It would be ideal if the party election is free from camps but it is difficult to avoid camp formation in any party.
“The 2018 PKR election was one of the worst elections that saw an extreme fight between Azmin and Rafizi's camps, even though in 2018, PKR introduced strict rules to ban any group photo usage in campaign material.
“I don't find his announcement dangerous, so long as the competition stays healthy without breaking party discipline,” he said.
“Upon the exit of Azmin's camp from the party, I am sure PKR has moved beyond extreme rivalry and gangsterism,” he added.
‘Uphold democracy to speak’
Malacca PKR Youth chief Prasanth Kumar Brakasam - who was included in Fahmi’s team line-up - likened the environment of the party polls to a general election campaign.
“In my opinion, it is good for any team to campaign publicly, mainly to convey the teams’ idea and manifesto so that the members could differentiate.
“It is like a general election campaign. We must uphold the democracy to speak and share our ideas publicly so that the members can judge and vote for the best,” he said.
PKR member Jhen Pei Seah concurred, saying competition is a crucial part of democracy.
“Suppressing competition does not work for democracy. However, we also must acknowledge that we are all in the same boat and the same party.
“Our ideologies, our reform agenda and (the) rakyat's lives and livelihoods should be the common objectives that are going to reconcile and unite us all together again,” she said.
Rawang representative and Selangor PKR Youth chief Chua Wei Kiat is another addition to the line-up unveiled by Fahmi on Sunday.
He said the campaign started by the team so far has been a healthy one before stressing that there will be no ill blood between the two camps - no matter the outcome.
“An open campaign can bring opportunities for party members to make comparisons.
“We are cultivating campaigns in a ‘healthy’ way. Fahmi, Adam and I are close friends. Win or lose, we will still be comrades. We honour the democratic process,” Chua added.
Nominations are on April 9 and voting for the 2022-2025 term will take place from May 13 to 18. - Mkini
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