Nurul Izzah is right, Harapan is 'badly wounded' now

Just as I was about to comment on Nurul Izzah Anwar’s apology for her less than positive remarks about Pakatan Harapan, came another “strong justification” why I think she is on the dot.

Let us look at Nurul Izzah’s party, PKR. It is now clear to all that PKR is at its weakest, viewed at any angle and in any direction.

Why so? The key factor is weak leadership at the very top, followed by continuous and prolonged internal strife, too many overly ambitious and impatient second echelon leaders, lack of commitment and loyalty to the party and outdated and unsaleable slogans.

So, when Nurul Izzah (above) predicted that Pakatan Harapan will lose two more general elections, I have to say that I agree with her. Why? Because she is a realist with very realistic views, minus the beating-round-the-bush nonsense and pauses.

No, no need to apologise, Nurul Izzah, not when you are telling the truth, difficult it might be for others to accept the reality. It was probably her attempt to wake up her Harapan colleagues from their slumber too.

Nurul Izzah is trying to send this message: Hello, Harapan is “badly wounded” now. The sooner we all realise this and nurse ourselves to better health, the better for all.

So, what is the “strong justification” I had mentioned?

On May 7, PKR Students Wing deputy chairperson Dharshinee Suresh Kumar urged Muda central executive committee member Dian Lee to clarify Clear Water Development Sdn Bhd's role in Blumont Group Ltd, which was among the firms in Singapore's penny stock controversy.

"The rakyat needs answers," Dharshinee said on Twitter.

What do we see here? Parties that are supposed to be friendly to each other, PKR and Muda in this case, firing salvos at each other. PKR was clearly in the wrong to have fired the first shot, which was unnecessary and unwarranted.

Muda central executive committee member Dian Lee

Who is this Dharshinee? Was she asked by those higher up in PKR to take it out on Muda’s Lee? Are not PKR and Muda friendly parties, even if they were not confirmed allies going into GE15?

We would have thought that it would be those “political opponents” in PN or BN questioning Lee of Muda, if there was any political point to gain by doing so.

But no, instead we hear from an unknown student member of PKR, issuing what is possibly her maiden press statement and surely without realising the repercussions politically.

This is not a salvo I would expect to come from a friendly party. Who is actually in charge of the PKR Student’s Wing? Who is the chairperson as Dharshinee is only the deputy chairperson? Can anyone in the wing issue public statements unilaterally? Is this the practice in PKR as a whole, today?

Of course, Lee, the daughter of tycoon Lee Kim Yew, who was not charged with any crime, was quick to respond to the PKR salvo.

Rightly, she hits back at the “baseless and defamatory” accusations over her involvement in Singapore's penny stock controversy, declaring that she and her husband Jared Lim were never implicated.

One big mess

PKR and Muda are struggling. Parties in such precarious situations should attempt to lean on one another for support as much as possible instead of taking potshots at each other.

So, will some still-wet-behind-the-ears people in PKR be issuing statements against those in DAP and Amanah next? Will they be blasting their Harapan allies over some sticky issues which may emerge in time to come, with no consideration for repercussions?

PKR looks like a party in one big mess today, leaderless and rudderless. Anwar Ibrahim is the party president but is he totally in charge? Or has the boss run out of ideas for real?

PKR is now in election mode too. The most interesting battle is the fight for the deputy president’s post between Saifuddin Nasution Ismail and Rafizi Ramli.

PKR president Anwar Ibrahim

Last Saturday, Saifuddin unveiled his team of candidates for the party polls, some of whom comprised leaders who were previously aligned with former deputy president Azmin Ali.

Sadly, two camps have now emerged. Surely, PKR cannot afford another major internal tussle - but it appears the party is walking down that dreaded path, yet again.

For the moment, PKR members and Harapan supporters must be hoping that the PKR election this time will not be as bruising as the Azmin-Rafizi contest in 2018.

I have a feeling that both Saifuddin and Rafizi will allow good sense to prevail in the end. Both are needed to lead PKR after Anwar and they know it. The concern is: will ego and pride stand in the way?

PKR’s morale was recently lifted somewhat when Rafizi and Nurul Izzah both announced that they would return to play their rightful role in the party.

Seen as the “future” of PKR and Harapan, Nurul and Rafizi must rise above petty PKR politics and take their rightful place as national leaders of the future.

Together with Saifuddin and his PKR team and their colleagues in DAP and Amanah, Nurul and Rafizi must be the unifying force behind Harapan. Harapan must stay together and be seen as a singular force going into the next general election.

Nurul Izzah could be right. Harapan may have to lose two general elections before it could attain power.

I will stick with Nurul Izzah’s projection but hoping for a bonus, nonetheless. Anything less than two elections or a period of 10 years is a bonus. - Mkini

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FRANCIS PAUL SIAH is a veteran Sarawak editor and heads the Movement for Change, Sarawak (MoCS). He can be reached at sirsiah@gmail.com

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.