The three-day PKR congress which will kick off tomorrow is likely to see a level of excitement as party leaders and delegates are expected to debate, among others, the big tent approach and the party's poor performance in four state elections since 2018 general election.
This is revealed by PKR communications director Fahmi Fadzil (above) who spoke about how the congress will shape a broad direction for the country's largest opposition party ahead of the 15th general election in an interview with Malaysiakini and KiniTV yesterday.
"Will there be a discussion about a big tent or going solo? I suspect there will be delegates who will want to speak about that," he said.
"There will always be political scavengers who will take advantage of whatever situation that arises with PKR.
"I think we are likely to see some excitement this weekend, although I hope it won’t be too exciting,” he quipped.
Fahmi said it will also be interesting to hear delegates from Malacca, Johor and Sarawak sharing their views on the state elections.
"For Johor and Malacca state elections, there was a lot of thinking out loud on whether we have done the right thing by accepting that seats or working with certain groups of people.
“I won’t say don’t dwell too much on the past, but I think it is more important for the party to learn from what had happened," he said.
Fahmi also reminded the delegates to always put the party first and always have discipline.
New lineup
The Lembah Pantai MP added that the congress would be a special one as there will be a new lineup with a new deputy president and four vice-presidents.
The return of the incoming deputy president Rafizi Ramli into active politics is not only anticipated by people inside and outside of the party but has sparked a sense of worry in the rival parties, said Fahmi.
"Perhaps the general public and voters may be more inspired about his return to active politics. I can say without a doubt there will be increased excitement in the party and towards the party from many people, even fence-sitters.
"To some extent, this is the party’s effort to not only heal the division after Sheraton Move but also put our best foot forward to prepare for GE15," he said.
Closing rank
Fahmi also expected the party to close rank after the internal election and that party president Anwar Ibrahim would find some place for party leaders who were defeated in the election.
"The GE15 is one of the toughest general elections for PKR and we need the support and strength of everyone, doesn’t matter if you won or lost in the party polls," he said.
He hoped the president's speech will set the tone for the broader direction and strategy of the party.
The PKR congress will be held at the Ideal Convention Centre (IDCC), Shah Alam, Selangor, and will begin with the Youth and Women wings’ congress tomorrow, followed by the national congress the next day.
PKR, which won 48 out of 71 parliamentary seats in 2018, was hit by a mass exodus of lawmakers led by its former deputy president Azmin Ali in the Sheraton Move.
Prior to that, the rift and internal fight between Azmin and Rafizi, particularly during the party election in 2018, plagued the party leadership.
PKR suffered another political blow as it was wiped out in the Malacca and Sarawak state elections in November and December 2021 respectively while it only managed to win one seat in Johor polls in March. It secured two seats in the September 2020 Sabah polls.
PKR still relevant
To a question, Fahmi said PKR is still relevant and there are no changes in opposition about Anwar being prime minister-designate.
"Anwar is the leader that brought us this far and he will lead us further. But he has also explained to us that he is not getting any younger. He accepts that there are a lot of talents and opportunities within the party. I think he understands that value," said Fahmi.
"Anwar still provides that strength for the party and Pakatan Harapan.
"We must remember that this is the first time he’d be leading Harapan into a general election, so we should give him the opportunity and chance," he added.
Recently, a survey conducted by Invoke Solution, an analytical firm linked to Rafizi, showed that Anwar's popularity decreased among the younger voters, and rationalised that this is likely due to the PKR president's heyday as a youth activist, Umno minister and then Reformasi leader growing older and older.
"Those who came of age during the era of Reformasi would now be in their 40s. To the majority of Malaysia’s working population then, Anwar is more historical relic than movement leader," a report on the survey said.
While 49 percent out of 1,500 voters being interviewed felt PKR had capable leaders, Invoke surmised that this doesn't mean approval for Anwar.
The survey found that among voters, 28 percent view Anwar positively, 23 percent negatively, and 48 percent have a neutral opinion of the opposition leader. - Mkini
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