GE15: PKR to contest all seats it won, negotiate for more with Harapan allies

 

PKR leadership has decided that the party will contest all the seats it had won in the next general, said secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.

Speaking at the PKR Youth congress launching ceremony this morning, he said PKR will also negotiate with its allies in Pakatan Harapan to get more seats to contest in GE15.

"Party leadership retreat agreed that PKR will continue to strengthen the party and Pakatan Harapan and generate new strength.

"We have decided to contest all the seats that PKR won (in the previous general election). We also agreed that the party will continue to negotiate with Harapan component parties to get additional seats for PKR.

"This is so that PKR can emerge as the largest and strongest party. Our direction is clear," Saifuddin (above) told the delegates when launching the 2021/2022 PKR Youth National Congress, held at Ideal Convention Centre in Shah Alam.

Speaking to the media later, Saifuddin said PKR leadership has a specific number of extra seats they are eyeing but declined to reveal much, except they include those which PKR lost in GE14 with a small majority.

"This coming general election, there will be no single party or coalition going to get an easy victory.

"How do we want to position ourselves? We want to be strong, but we still won't be able to form a government on our own.

"So, the task now is to defend the 48 parliamentary seats (that PKR won in GE14), and we are also looking at seats which we lost then but with a difference in the number of votes which we can cover.

"We have the number of seats, but I cannot jump the gun before negotiating with our allies," he told reporters.

Party discipline

Also, in his speech to PKR Youth delegates, Saifuddin went on a lengthy lecture to remind party members of the importance of having organisational discipline.

Saying that he noticed there has been some decline in discipline, the Kulim Bandar Baru MP stressed that all party decisions are made collectively and should be respected by all members.

"Even when a decision does not sit well with our personal view, we have organisational discipline where members are obligated to abide by the decision and defend that decision.

"Can a decision be changed? Yes, it is doable. (But) this must be done through the proper channel," he said.

Saifuddin gave several examples of major decisions which the party had taken in the past, including those which he said had seen a split between top party leaders.

One of them was when PKR was deciding whether to join Pakatan Harapan in 2015.

"The party was split into two. Half of the central leadership was against the idea, while the other half supported it.

"Then-president Wan Azizah Wan Ismail then decided to join Harapan, and this decision was made collectively," he said.

Saifuddin also reminded the delegates to stay united and work together as the party election has concluded.

He said the biggest threat to PKR is when its members fail to unite and continue to attack each other. - Mkini