Post-Reformasi generation the real test for PKR, says analyst

 Ahmad Zaharuddin Sani Ahmad Sabri says the party needs to build a political identity and offering that resonate with younger voters.

Anwar Ibrahim is seen as cautious about allowing an obvious successor to emerge in the PKR leadership.

PETALING JAYA:

Beyond finding a successor to Anwar Ibrahim, PKR must build a political identity that appeals to a generation of voters who have no emotional connection to the Reformasi movement of 1998, an analyst said.

Ahmad Zaharuddin Sani Ahmad Sabri.

Ahmad Zaharuddin Sani Ahmad Sabri said the issue was becoming increasingly important as young people today viewed politics through issues that directly affected their lives, rather than the political upheaval of more than two decades ago.

“They understand politics through TikTok, the cost of living, job opportunities, housing,education, AI and the future.

“PKR’s challenge is not merely to find a younger leader, but someone capable of giving the party an identity that is relevant to a new generation of voters,” the Global Asia Consulting analyst told FMT.

The Reformasi movement refers to the events surrounding Anwar’s sacking as deputy prime minister nearly 28 years ago under Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s administration.

It led to the formation of PKR, one of the component parties of Pakatan Harapan and a key pillar of the unity government led by Anwar as prime minister.

An ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute study on GE15 found that most seats where voters below 30 made up at least 30% of the electorate were won by Perikatan Nasional, followed by PH and Barisan Nasional

An analysis by Bridget Welsh previously cited by Bernama also recorded a 75.6% turnout among voters aged 18 to 30 in GE15, underscoring the group’s influence on election outcomes.

Zaharuddin said PKR was not short of potential leaders capable of taking on bigger roles.

He said vice-president Amirudin Shari had an administrative track record as Selangor menteri besar, while information chief Fahmi Fadzil was strong in communications.

“Saifuddin Nasution Ismail (the vice-president acting as deputy president) has organisational experience, while Tengku Zafrul Aziz (an ex-officio member of PKR’s political bureau) comes from the corporate and government sectors.

“However, no one yet has a sufficiently clear combination of identity, charisma, narrative and a national mandate to emerge as the face of PKR after Anwar,” he said.

Oh Ei Sun.

Singapore Institute of International Affairs senior fellow Oh Ei Sun similarly said there did not appear to be any PKR leader now with a strong image as Anwar’s successor.

He said it would be unfair to suggest that Anwar was not interested in bringing new faces into the top leadership. Rather, the PKR president appeared cautious about allowing an overly obvious successor to emerge.

“He takes extra care to make sure that he has no obvious party successor, as he almost always fell out with them.

“(This was) something which he perhaps learned from Dr Mahathir who ruthlessly sidelined him when it was obvious that he got a bit pushy to move up,” Oh said.

Although Oh did not name any former PKR leaders, Anwar’s relationship with his former deputy, Rafizi Ramli, had previously been strained.

The succession question arose after Nurul Izzah sought to step down as deputy president to further her studies, but the central leadership council rejected her resignation and allowed her to take leave for an indefinite period.

Saifuddin subsequently assumed the duties of deputy president, while Amirudin was tasked with leading the party’s election strategy and Tengku Zafrul with coordinating its preparations ahead of the polls. - FMT