PKR veteran Hassan Abdul Karim has proposed for his party to amend its constitution which currently gives president Anwar Ibrahim the final say on appointing its 14 state chiefs.
He said while the party allows ordinary members to elect the president and supreme council members, the current practice where the president appoints the state chiefs is undemocratic.
“This practice must be changed,” said the Pasir Gudang MP.
“The party’s constitution must be amended through a Special National Congress so that it is no longer the president who appoints the state chiefs to lead the State Leadership Councils,” Hassan told Malaysiakini today.
He was asked to comment on criticism against PKR by human rights lawyer Charles Hector Fernandez that the practice raises concerns now that the party is part of the federal government.
“We need to consider party constitutions as they can be indicative of the kind of government we can be getting if we vote such a party into government.
“The (party) constitution indicates the values and principles that a political party advocates - democracy or.... (otherwise),” said Fernandez in a blog post yesterday.
The lawyer, who questioned the government’s commitment to institutional reforms, including on the long-promised return of local government elections, cited Clause 21.7 of PKR’s constitution.
He said the clause also provides for other internal political appointments including filling the party’s secretary-general post now held by Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
He pointed out that Saifuddin is an appointed senator rather than a democratically elected member of Parliament.
Reduce president’s autocratic powers
Commenting further, Hassan said the power to appoint PKR state chiefs should be returned to the leaders of the state branches.
They could hold secret votes among themselves after the conclusion of the party’s annual national congress.
“This provision must be included in PKR’s new constitution to replace the current undemocratic provision that existed since the party’s formation in 1999.
“This amendment is important for PKR to be a fair and democratic party, and to reduce the autocratic powers that is now held by the president,” he stressed.
“This will be a reform for PKR, a party that has touted the ‘Reformasi’ slogan for 25 years.
“Now the time has come to change so PKR will be more vibrant, popular, and truly practise democracy,” said Hassan.
On Sunday, PKR information chief Fahmi Fadzil announced that the party’s central leadership council led by Anwar has reshuffled its state leadership.
Changes were made to the heads and deputies of chapters in Sabah, Pahang, Johor, Terengganu, Kelantan, and the Federal Territories.
In 2022, after PKR’s party election held ahead of the 15th general election, Anwar divided the state chief positions in the peninsula among party deputy president Rafizi Ramli, and vice-presidents Chan Lih Kang, Nurul Izzah Anwar, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, Aminuddin Harun, and Amirudin Shari.
He also named the party’s Keningau chief Sangkar Rasam as the Sabah PKR chief, who has now been replaced by Sepanggar MP Mustapha @ Mohd Yunus Sakmud, as well as lawyer Roland Engan who has been retained as the Sarawak PKR chief. - Mkini
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