Despite election defeats and gloomy forecast, youth minister still hopeful for Anwar's 2nd term

 

PKR Youth vice-chief Taufiq Johari remains hopeful that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will secure a second term, despite the party's repeated defeats in recent elections and forecasts of poor results for Pakatan Harapan.

The youth and sports minister said Malaysia had no party more "progressive" than PKR, describing the party as a symbol of the country's future.

"This party promises greatness for our country and has been proven by our president, (Prime Minister) Anwar Ibrahim, who is leading the government today with great brilliance, and god willing, we will continue to maintain that excellence.

"God willing, the PKR president will remain in power and will continue as the prime minister for a second term," Taufiq (above) said in his winding-up speech at the party's national congress at the Melaka International Trade Centre this evening.

Malaysiakini's analysis of the recent Negeri Sembilan polls found that BN and Perikatan Nasional had successfully consolidated the Malay vote to bag 25 seats for a two-thirds majority in the state, relegating Pakatan Harapan to just 11 seats.

Anwar Ibrahim

A combination of low turnout among Chinese voters for Harapan and a swing from Indian voters to BN also signals danger for Harapan, which may continue to bleed votes from disenchanted supporters over its perceived abandonment of reformist ideals.

In such a scenario, Harapan is also expected to lose significant ground at the Parliament level and in states such as Malacca, Perak, Kedah, Pahang, and even Penang.

The disastrous showing in Negeri Sembilan - which saw DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke and former state menteri besar Aminuddin Harun lose their contests - had followed similarly poor outings in Johor and Sabah.

‘Sinking ship’

Another PKR Youth vice-chief, Nabil Halimi, urged the party not to rely on nostalgia for the 1998 Reformasi movement.

Calling on the party to avoid "sugarcoating" the present reality, he asked whether PKR has kept its finger on the pulse of voters on the ground.

"Ultimately, leadership is judged by our courage to solve problems and make the best decisions for the people, and we have to make sure we are there to help them every day," he added.

Nabil likened PKR to a sinking ship, saying the party must go beyond surface-level repairs and address the underlying problems.

Echoing PKR Youth chief Kamil Munim's remarks last night on the value of electoral defeats, Nabil pointed to the party's origins in "suffering on the streets".

Nabil Halimi

He said PKR had gone through cycles of rising and falling, stressing that losses did not mean the party was dead.

"PKR will only die when we stop listening to the people," he said.

In Johor, PKR lost its deposits in four seats, while in Sabah it won only one of the 12 seats it contested.

Beyond its electoral setbacks, PKR is also facing internal friction following Rafizi Ramli's resignation as economy minister after losing the deputy presidency contest to Nurul Izzah Anwar.

He later left the party to lead Bersama along with another former PKR leader, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.

Dissent is also brewing within the federal government, with relations between BN and Harapan growing increasingly tense after BN decided to contest against Harapan in the Johor and Negeri Sembilan polls. - FMT