PKR needs fresh faces, not a Tian Chua comeback, says analyst

 Azmi Hassan says the veteran should help strengthen the party and make way for younger politicians to contest in the next general election.

University of Tasmania academic James Chin questions whether Tian Chua’s experience gives him an advantage in today’s political landscape.

PETALING JAYA:

PKR veteran Tian Chua should focus on working in the background to strengthen the party rather than seeking a return to Parliament, says political analyst Azmi Hassan.

The Akademi Nusantara senior fellow said Reformasi-era veterans like the former Batu MP have a crucial role to play in reviving the party’s fortunes ahead of the 16th general election.

However, he cautioned that Tian Chua’s bid to contest the seat again under the PKR banner might trigger internal turmoil within the party.

“I think Tian Chua needs to work behind the scenes to prop up PKR,” he said.

Azmi Hassan.

Azmi said PKR should promote a slate of younger leaders as candidates for the next general election. He said that while Tian Chua’s experience was still valuable to PKR, it did not necessarily justify his candidacy.

Tian Chua recently told FMT that Batu’s constituents were strongly in support of his return as their MP, but said the final decision rests with the party leadership.

A Batu MP for two consecutive terms beginning 2008, he was barred from defending the seat in the 2018 general election after a returning officer rejected his nomination, citing a RM2,000 fine imposed by the Shah Alam High Court for insulting the modesty of a police officer.

Tian Chua subsequently backed independent candidate P Prabakaran, who won the seat and later joined PKR.

He was sacked by the party in January 2023 after contesting Batu as an independent in the previous year’s general election, squaring up against the party’s own candidate, Prabakaran.

James Chin.

University of Tasmania academic James Chin said Tian Chua is unlikely to have a strong impact on Parliament unless he does so as part of a larger group of four or five MPs.

He also questioned whether Tian Chua could dislodge Prabakaran, saying the current Batu MP had done considerable groundwork over the past few years.

Chin said Tian Chua’s only realistic path back would be for PKR’s top leadership to ask Prabakaran to step aside.

He pointed to Tian Chua’s poor performance when he contested Batu as an independent in 2022, saying it demonstrated the importance of party machinery over individual popularity.

Chin also said Tian Chua had limited support within PKR, whose members largely regard him as a “loose cannon”. However, he said Tian Chua’s decision not to join another party while he was out of PKR could count in his favour.

“The only thing going for him is that he did not join another party the whole time he was in the wilderness. That counts as a plus,” he said.

Chin also questioned whether Tian Chua’s experience would necessarily give him an advantage in today’s political landscape.

“He is highly experienced in terms of grassroots work. But I don’t think he is any more experienced overall than a lot of other people.

“Since his departure from Parliament, the political environment and landscape have totally changed,” he said. - FMT