Surendran finds windfall in PKR polls

Surendran’s appointment has drawn the ire of those who were eyeing his spot. — file pic

ANALYSIS, Dec 19 — Prominent lawyer N. Surendran may be the biggest winner of the recently concluded PKR direct elections, after he was appointed as a vice-president despite not taking part in the polls.

It is an unusual elevation, from ordinary party member in the Lembah Pantai division to vice-president.

“What Anwar wants, Anwar gets,” said a senior party member, who contested for a top post and lost. “This is exactly the recent many people left the party including (Datuk) Zaid (Ibrahim).”

Surendran’s appointment has ruffled feathers in the party, especially with the likes of Padang Serai MP N. Gobalakrishnan, Kapar MP S. Manickavasagam, Selangor exco Dr Xavier Jeyakumar and political novice Suresh Kumar — all of whom contested for vice-presidencies and lost, but had hoped to “win” through appointment.

Defeated vice-president S. Sivarasa had not expected to be reappointed to the post, party insiders said, mainly because he could not carry the Tamil voters for PKR.

The others are in one way or another tainted and had brought bad press for the party with their antics and seemingly anti-PKR tendencies.

Gobalakrishnan, especially, had sided with Zaid but pulled back when the former Federal Territories chief decide to resign.

Surendran, on the other hand, is articulate and enjoys a clean, committed and forthright image that could win supporters for the battered party that has been hit by a series of internal squabbles, defections and breakaway groups.

Despite that, the 44-year-old lawyer is relatively unknown to the Indian community, unlike the Gobalakrishnan or Manickavasagam.

However, Surendran, who is also a serious campaigner against the death penalty, is the type to say he is a Malaysian leader rather than an Indian leader and was among the first to step forward and condemn Zaid when he was raising a ruckus in PKR and threatening to leave.

After Zaid left in mid-November, Surendran wrote a strong pro-Anwar piece under the title “Anwar still our best bet”, calling Zaid a Reformasi pretender and dredging up his Umno past.

During the Hulu Selangor by-election, Surendran had been proposed to Anwar as a candidate but the PKR de facto leader felt Zaid had a better chance.

In hindsight, Pakatan leaders said, it was better that Zaid lost as he has now gone off with a different party and will be contesting against them in the upcoming general election.

Like many successful politicians, Anwar has always prized and rewarded loyalty.

Surendran’s rare elevation appears to be reward for years of sacrifice and loyalty to the Reformasi cause.

“I regard the appointment as not a call to politics but to call to serve the country,” Surendran told Malaysian Insider. “I took the job because I believe a change of government will greatly benefit the people.”

“And I hope to rally more young people behind the PKR,” he said.

Surendran joined PKR in 2002 and has not contested for any post or received any other appointments before.

“I hope those unhappy will accept me and work with me to change the government,” he said of the many, especially Indian leaders, who felt betrayed by Anwar.

But some who were passed over did not appear ready to move on.

“We have served for so long but to elevate an ordinary member to vice-president is unheard of and a slap in our face,” said another top Indian leader who declined to be named.

Considering the unhappiness, Surendran will have to watch his back while at the same time consolidate his position with the help of allies like elected vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar and others.

What Surendran does from here and how he maximises this reward — a rare and major lift to launch his political career — is entirely up to him and his political maturity.