Why are Azmin's people meeting at the Renaissance?

This weekend, it is almost a certainty there will be two major PKR meetings taking place.

One will be the national delegates' meeting at the Melaka International Trade Centre (MITC), beginning tomorrow night and ending on Sunday.

This meeting will be the official AGM for the party, which not only fulfils legal requirements, but also serves as the party's highest decision-making platform.

Therein, the accounts will be tabled and delegates from across the country will vote on resolutions to guide the party's executive body - the central leadership council (MPP) led by party president Anwar Ibrahim (above, right).

On Saturday, an unofficial two-day "party meeting" is slated for the Renaissance Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, where those loyal to the party's deputy president Azmin Ali (above, left) are expected to gather.

The meeting has been rumoured over the past week. PKR Youth vice-chief Nazree Yunus told Malaysiakini today that it will take place.

Barring any last-minute reconciliation between Anwar and Azmin, thousands of the latter's supporters are expected to throng the Renaissance's grand ballroom in a massive show of force.

Veteran party watchers have pointed out that the venue was of major significance. The party - in the form of Parti Keadilan Nasional - was launched in the very same ballroom slightly over two decades ago on April 4, 1999.

At the time, Anwar was incarcerated over corruption charges, which he and his supporters claim were trumped up. This charge was pardoned last year.

New torchbearers of reformasi?

The formation of the Parti Keadilan Nasional, or simply "Keadilan" (justice) at the time, also formalised the Malaysian reformasi movement, aimed at cleaning up the judiciary, eradicating corruption and the righting of alleged wrongs committed by then prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

"Reformasi" became the rallying cry for the party until today. The Renaissance meet this weekend comes with a tinge of irony in that it is themed "Kembali ke landasan reformasi" (returning to the path of reforms).

"Anwar has spent half of the past two decades in jail. It comes as no surprise that some party figures might feel that they - having endured suffering in Anwar's name for so long - now claim they are the true torchbearers of reformasi," one veteran party supporter told Malaysiakini.

Another party supporter believed that the choice of the Renaissance Hotel back in 1999 in part had to do with the title of Anwar's best-known book "The Asian Renaissance".

Published in 1996, the book is widely described as Anwar's manifesto for a progressive Asia and Malaysia, interspersed through a collection of speeches which made up most chapters of the book.

By design or otherwise, the book had led to Anwar being called a "Renaissance man", a term used to describe a person of many talents, which has its roots in describing the polymaths who emerged out of the Renaissance-era.

Wings to take centre stage

In contrast, Azmin, who is expected to be the star of the Renaissance meet this weekend, hasn't authored a famous book, nor has he established himself as a public intellectual.

Instead, Azmin, shrewd and astute, steadily built a large support base within the party, evident in his loyalists sweeping the party elections last year, winning three out of four vice-president positions, and 14 out of 20 MPP positions.

That contest turned into a Pyrrhic victory as Anwar, who won the presidency unopposed, co-opted loyalists into the MPP, bringing the total number to 64 presently.

This effectively diluted Azmin's influence in the party's executive.

Following this, Azmin became "unavailable" for every MPP meeting that has taken place since, and absent during a widely publicised party retreat in July.

In doing so, Azmin's conduct as the economic affairs minister would not be subjected to scrutiny by the party. It is believed other members of the executive - either at state or federal level - were regularly absent from MPP meetings.

Azmin, however, has pledged to officiate the PKR women's wing annual delegates' meet in Malacca tomorrow night, in what will likely be his first appearance at a major party event since the party convention held last November.

His speech will set the tone for the women wing's debate to follow. The wing's leadership is packed with Azmin loyalists.

Over at the PKR Youth annual meet, all eyes will be on the reaction of the wing's leaders when party adviser Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (above) officiates the event.

"There is talk of Azmin loyalists, who make up the bulk of those elected to the wing's leadership, leading a walkout. The optics would be disastrous for Anwar," said a wing official, who declined to be named.

Azmin to make a stand

On Saturday, the PKR congress for the main body will take place, and Anwar is scheduled to make his address at 9.20am.

What will be of interest is whether Azmin would turn up for the opening ceremony and sit beside Anwar.

The duo have not shared a stage for a party event since the conclusion of the last party congress.

According to Nazree, Azmin and other party leaders are expected to be at the Renaissance Hotel in Kuala Lumpur where several important addresses would be made on Sunday.

Nazree said the leaders are expected to make their "pendirian utama" (main positions) known during that session, which he said would be the "climax" of the two-day event. - Mkini