Ramasamy: Congress or no congress, PKR and DAP are burning bright at the point of political decline

 

PKR, the party of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, will hold its national congress today (Aug 15).

It will be officiated by Anwar, who is recovering from minor surgery a few days ago.

Coincidence or not, the congress is held one day before the DAP’s national congress tomorrow (Aug 16).

To be attended by 2,500 delegates and 3,000 observers, the PKR Congress will debate future direction of the party under the theme of “Revitalising Reforms.”

Meanwhile, the more than 4,000 delegates at the DAP congress will decide whether the party should remain within the fold of the PH-led government or throw in the towel.

As I have repeatedly pointed out in my previous writings, DAP might be more inclined to stay put in the Madani government simply because the costs of leaving outweigh the benefits.

It must be remembered that DAP is not the same ferocious opposition party it once was.

Already accustomed to enjoying the perks associated with power and positions, the party’s present younger generation of leaders are more inclined to stay within the fold of the government.

There is a realisation that even if DAP bids farewell to Pakatan Harapan (PH), it is not automatic that the party will recover the non-Malay support it has lost.

There is a greater possibility that DAP will remain within the government, with the addition of some caveats to make the ultimate decision palatable to the Chinese and Indian communities.

‘Between a rock and a hard place situation’

DAP is structurally, ideologically and materially ensconced within the power structures to turn on and off whether it wants to be part of the government or not.

Unlike DAP which has some support among the non-Malays, PKR is in a worse form perhaps due to the lack of political alternatives or the fear of the PAS bogeyman.

The Malay support that it originally had has been siphoned off to the Malay-based political parties, especially those in the opposition.

The extent of non-Malay support is something laughable. Most importantly, PKR has been undermined by its earlier promise of bringing about far-reaching reforms in the country.

Prime Minister and PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim recuperating at home from his so-called elective laparoscopic surgery on Aug 10, 2026 (Image credit: Anwar Ibrahim/Facebook)

What was promised was never delivered despite the pretensions of none other than Anwar himself.

The PKR congress theme of “Revitalising Reforms” makes no sense because there are no reforms in the first place.

If Anwar cannot implement reforms in the first three years of being in office, what guarantee is there that the reforms will be revitalised?

Slogans in Malaysia are fine but they do not make any sense to people who face the brunt of low wages, inflation, fluctuating fuel prices and the effects of financial scandals that have cost the public billions.

There might be differences in what DAP and PKR are going to face in the uncertain future but one thing is clear: like proverbial candles, they seem to burn brightest at the point of their political decline. 

Former DAP stalwart and Penang deputy chief minister II Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy is chairman of the United Rights of Malaysian Party (Urimai) interim council.

The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of  MMKtT.

- Focus Malaysia.