Even with the appointment of PKR president Anwar Ibrahim as prime minister, one of the party's earliest supporters argued that the reformasi movement which started 25 years ago has yet to succeed.
Speaking as a panellist at a forum to mark the movement's 25th anniversary last night, Umno supreme council member Lokman Noor Adam recounted how he was introduced to the term reformasi as an Umno Youth member in 1996.
Then Umno Youth chief Ahmad Zahid Hamidi led the movement at the time.
Lokman (above) said Zahid had introduced the theme "Pemuda Pemangkin Gerakan Reformasi" (youth as reform movement catalysts) to support Anwar.
Back then, Anwar was deputy prime minister cum finance minister and Umno’s number two. The movement was aimed at challenging the alleged corruption linked to Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who was then serving as prime minister and Umno president.
"The outspokenness of Umno Youth at the time, we fought against corruption, cronyism and nepotism... and this eventually led to Anwar's sacking," said Lokman.
Anwar was sacked on Sept 2, 1998, and the following years witnessed his trials and conviction for corruption and the first sodomy charge.
Lokman was among Umno Youth leaders who were sacked along with Anwar and they came together as the earliest supporters of what eventually founded PKR's predecessor, Parti Keadilan Nasional, in 1999.
"If you were to ask me, 'Is the reformasi movement a success?' I will say it’s not.
"Because reformasi was started to eradicate practices of cronyism, nepotism and corruption under Mahathir.
"But until today, we (government) are unable to drag Mahathir to court (for alleged corruption) even after 25 years,” Lokman said.
"So, for me, if we want to gauge the success of reformasi, at the very least we must drag him, charge him (Mahathir) in court," he added.
The Umno leader, unlike Anwar, claimed he had never once trusted Mahathir - with two separate detention without trial stints under the now-abolished Internal Security Act - during his time out of Umno.
During his second stint in Umno, Lokman was a staunch supporter of then-president Najib Abdul Razak including at the height of the 1MDB scandal, attacking its critics led by Anwar as opposition leader.
He was sacked from Umno for a second time in 2020.
Last night, Lokman insisted it was due to his unchanging stance on opposing supposed plans by Umno president Zahid for the party to work together with Mahathir who was then-Bersatu president and prime minister for the second time, leading Pakatan Harapan.
Lokman was readmitted to Umno earlier this year and reappointed as a supreme council member, now with the party and BN as a part of Anwar's government.
The forum held at Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall was organised by NGO Perahu Hamzah, with support from the office of Selangor Youth, Sports and Entrepreneurship executive council member Najwan Halimi.
Other panellists include political cartoonist Zulkiflee SM Anwar Haque, author Hasmi Hashim, former editor-in-chief of DAP's The Rocket Wan Hamidi Hamid and former senator Yusmadi Yusoff.
'Anwar in house cleaning mode'
Zulkiflee, better known as Zunar, said the present administration elected last November should be given at least a year before being judged on its reform promises.
In the meantime, Zulkiflee, who captured the early reformasi movement as executive producer of the movie "Anwar: The Untold Story", said the prime minister should be supported in his ongoing reform efforts.
"Now Anwar is in 'house cleaning' mode. Just like entering into a new house with unorganised furniture and rubbish all over the place.
"Give him a chance this year to clean up the new house. Next year, we will evaluate if Anwar can commit to his reforms or not," he added.
Zulkiflee said his present focus remains on producing cartoons to help educate the younger generation on government policies, stressing it was his way to help support the administration while remaining critical.
New alliances forged to form the federal administration after the 15th general election saw Anwar's critics - led by Perikatan Nasional - mocking the "death" of the reformasi movement, leading to allegations of judicial interference to free BN leaders from corruption charges.
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