UP TO ANWAR TO UNITE PKR
MOST Malaysians will agree that while Tun D r M a h a t h i r M ohamad was the catalyst who caused the fall of the Barisan Nasional (BN) government, it was not a result of some fortuitous consequence of some social process.
It was the natural and inevitable consequence of a government that could not continue to base itself on arbitrary applications of power that sought to eliminate all forms of dissent.
The process of change began with the repeated incarcerations of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, and was sustained by the momentum of the Reformasi movement and PKR that continued carrying the “Reform Malaysia” torch since 1998.
People who were not particularly fond of Anwar became Anwar supporters.
While PKR may have fewer than a million members, one can be sure that it has millions more supporters and sympathisers across the nation.
It is against this backdrop that this letter is written.
The PKR elections has denigrated into such an internecine warfare that threatens to tear apart not only the fabric of PKR, but also the hopes of millions who see PKR as the way forward for New Malaysia.
The public utterances by some PKR leaders are discouraging and disheartening. This looks like a classic case of talking the party and the government into trouble.
Given that the new government has not properly warmed its seat yet, the issue really is whether it is necessary to have the contests at this time.
Could not the many good leaders in PKR work together for the common good rather than for any well-disguised personal objectives?
Could not the contending forces lay down their armoury and allow the Pakatan Harapan government to settle down to the business of running our country and leading us to a better destiny?
It is a tragedy to see how the contest for the post of the deputy president between Rafizi Ramli and Datuk Seri Azmin Ali is turning out. To compound matters, the contest has filtered down to the other echelons of leadership.
Rafizi and Azmin are great leaders to have within the ranks. They may have different approaches but that need not be at cross purposes.
It is particularly painful to hear accusations of disloyalty aimed at Azmin. In the aftermath of Anwar’s incarceration, it was “Anwar’s boys” (as they were popularly known) who were on the ground marshalling supporters, organising branches and giving flesh to be bare bones of PKR.
Sadly though, over the years, most “Anwar’s boys” have either “run for the hills” or “crossed over to the other side”.
However, the sole unwavering sentinel at the PKR guardhouse from day one has been Azmin. His loyalty to the Reformasi cause cannot be doubted.
As Selangor menteri besar, he had shown remarkable leadership, maturity and fortitude in the face of numerous challenges, especially in the early days. The scurrilous attacks on Azmin’s loyalty and integrity must be viewed with the contempt they deserve, while his elegant nonconfrontational reaction must be applauded.
That said, Rafizi is also an irreplaceable component of the PKR engine. His sacrifices for the Malaysian people have not been forgotten. His frequent exposés at great personal risk are fresh in our hearts and minds.
Given this scenario, it lies upon the shoulders of Anwar as president of PKR and as Bapak Reformasi to intervene immediately and impose peace upon the party.
Anwar can and must convince the contestants to allow the new government to settle down and dig us out of the quagmire we are in.
He is the only one who could impose an acceptable modus vivendi, and he should not abdicate this responsibility.
Stop the implosion of PKR and the explosion of the hopes of millions of Malaysians.