PKR congress aims to heal after divisive polls, Selangor MB saga

Pakatan Rakyat leaders meeting last Sunday to resolve the Selangor menteri besar impasse. PKR will be going all out to mend frayed ties with its allies after its bid to oust Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim as MB. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Afif Abd Halim, August 21, 2014.

A bruised and somewhat battered PKR will go to its annual general assembly tomorrow hoping to present a united front following divisive and chaotic party polls and the protracted Selangor menteri besar impasse that almost hobbled Pakatan Rakyat (PR).

Both leaders and grassroots members are expected to set the tone by stressing on the need to put aside their differences and consolidate within and outside the party.

There will also be calls to mend its frayed ties with ally PAS, as relations with the Islamist party have been strained because of the storm surrounding the MB crisis.

President Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail will open the congress on Saturday and the thrust of her speech will be on unity as well as outlining the party's plan for Selangor.

Party leaders and members said delegates would take the cue from her speech, and expect the debate to be on the "positive tone" of strengthening relations with its allies – PAS and DAP – in the opposition pact.

"The aftermath of the MB crisis was not of positive optimism. It affected party morale in a slightly weird way, in the sense that while we have the steely resolve to replace Khalid with Dr Wan Azizah and stood our ground even though the world seemed to be against us, it was
nevertheless poignant to go through it," said a party leader, referring to embattled Selangor MB Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim and the party's chosen successor, Dr Wan Azizah.

"However, at the same time, it has also boosted our morale that we can face anything as long as we do the right thing," added the leader, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

Khalid was sacked from PKR on August 9, after defying the party's orders to step down as menteri besar to make way for Dr Wan Azizah.

Two days later, the sultan of Selangor consented to Khalid continuing as menteri besar despite his status as an independent assemblyman.

Last Sunday, PAS had proposed that PKR nominate its deputy president, Azmin Ali, for the top post, alongside Dr Wan Azizah but the Pakatan Rakyat leadership council which met later that evening agreed that only Dr Wan Azizah’s name should be considered.

As a result, the two-term MB said he would seek an audience with the sultan on the next course of action after the ruler returns from his holiday.

Seri Setia assemblyman Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad expected the congress to reaffirm the need to move forward and rally behind Dr Wan Azizah.

"There is no denying that we have achieved things in the six years we have governed Selangor but there are things we can improve on and these are matters which we need to focus on," he said.

Selangor, as PKR’s crown jewel and the nation's wealthiest state, was the template for the party, and by extension, PR, to "sell" its national policies, said the state's deputy speaker.

However, the party also needed to mend its ties with PAS and the Pengkalan Kubor by-election will be a test for both sides to put aside their recent tensions to work together to wrest the Kelantan state seat from Umno.

PKR deputy information chief Sim Tze Tzin, likening the recent disagreements between the two parties to a quarrel between a married couple, said at the end of the day, everyone realised they were stronger together as a pact rather than striking out alone.

"Yes, things were strained over the past few weeks but we treasure and love our relationship more. We will kiss and make up and work towards gaining the seat," said the first-term Bayan Baru MP.

Casting a pall over the three-day congress will be de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's appeal against his sodomy charge which the Federal Court is due to hear on October 28 as well as several sedition and criminal charges slapped on its leaders.

If the Federal Court upholds the Court of Appeal decision, which found Anwar guilty of sodomising his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, he will be jailed, which will bring to an end his political career as opposition leader and Pematang Pauh MP.

PKR vice-president N. Surendran was charged on Tuesday with sedition for alleging that Anwar's sodomy charge was a political conspiracy involving Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

PKR strategy director Rafizi Ramli is in danger of losing his Pandan parliamentary seat after being charged with violating banking laws on August 1 last year when he exposed confidential banking documents of the National Feedlot Corporation Sdn Bhd (NFCorp), the company at the centre of the RM250 million cattle-farming scandal that led to the fall of a senior Umno minister.

Another vice-president Tian Chua is facing separate sedition and criminal charges over a speech he made last year as well as for "outraging the modesty" of police for allegedly uttering harsh words at several police officers when they seized his handphone in a
hotel on April 14.

Putrajaya is also appealing against the Court of Appeal decision to dismiss the charge against Nik Nazmi under Section 9(1) of the Peaceful Assembly Act for failure to give notice to the police before a rally.

Under the Federal Constitution, an elected representative is disqualified from office if fined more than RM2,000 or jailed more than two years and has not received a free pardon.

Will these developments cripple the party?

"While there is concern over the court cases and continuous persecution of our leaders, there is no sense of worry, sulking or pessimism that things are going down the drain after this.

"What binds us is not Anwar, but the belief that social justice will prevail and this will unite Malaysians," said a senior party leader, who insisted on anonymity.

Youth chief Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin also pooh-poohed talk that the multiracial party would be much weaker with a slew of its leaders in danger of doing jail time.

"We have shown that we can overcome such challenges. We pray that Anwar and our leaders are not persecuted but if it happens, there will be new people coming forward to continue the party's struggles.

"We have a clear leadership line-up, upcoming second and third-liners who will help the older experienced leaders," he said.

The assembly, which will take place in Stadium Malawati in Shah Alam, Selangor, will kick off with the meetings of the Youth and Wanita wings tomorrow.

Proceedings on that day will be sombre as it is the national mourning day for the victims of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, whose remains will be brought home.

A prayer and a moment silence will be observed, with attendees requested to wear black in mourning for the 298 killed on board the Boeing which was shot down by a surface-to-air missile over eastern Ukraine en route to Kuala Lumpur from Amsterdam on July 17.

The congress proper will be a two-day affair over the weekend where the party's new line-up will be formally introduced to members.

The party is scheduled to announce its new leaders at a press conference today.

Other issues that are expected to be brought up are security, especially along the east coast of Sabah, which has seen intrusions by foreigners, the economy with concerns over rising cost of living as well as increasing racial and religious tensions and the need to combat fanaticism both within and outside Malaysia.

On Sunday, leaders will wind up points raised by delegates and Anwar will bring the congress to a close with his address.

- TMI