Now that PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim has received a royal pardon, he should assume the role of party president, says Shamsul Iskandar Md Akin.
"I hope this party election, Anwar will contest as the president of the party.
"There should be no more ketua umum (de facto leader). This post of ketua umum was the creation of our party congress for Anwar,” the PKR vice-president told Malaysiakini in an interview.
"Now I think we are back in business, so I hope Anwar can listen to our voice, the voice of the majority.
"Let's abolish the ketua umum position so he can come back to lead the party as the president," Shamsul said.
After his first release from prison, Anwar was endorsed by PKR in 2007 AGM as its de facto leader.
At the time, he was slapped with a five-year ban from active politics due to his conviction for corruption.
Anwar was given a full royal pardon on May 16 this year, freeing him of a second sodomy charge - meaning that he can now officially return to politics and assume the premiership after Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
A quiet election
PKR's next party polls is expected to take place this August.
Its last party election in 2014 took a violent turn – with chairs and ballot boxes being thrown about – primarily due to tensions between the camps of Abdul Khalid Ibrahim and Mohamed Azmin Ali, both of whom were running for the post of deputy president at the time.
Shamsul expressed his hope that there will be no repeat of such unsavoury incidents in this year’s party elections.
"The last election was very tense, but now we are in the government, so let us have a relaxed election.
"I have faith in the members of PKR. We have gone through various elections, and the last party election was very interesting, a lot of incidents,” he said.
"I just hope that in this coming party elections, those incidents can be reduced, because we believe democracy is noisy, but we do not want it to be very noisy.
"We need to handle that, because that can create a bad perception for the people,” he stressed, adding that the eventual winners should be magnanimous in victory and the losers, gracious in defeat.
'What’s next after Anwar?'
Shamsul, who is the MP for Hang Tuah Jaya, said PKR members should take the party’s future into consideration during the elections.
"I hope this coming August elections of the party will be used by the members to elect leaders who have the vision of bringing the party to the next level.
"We have gone through 20 years of struggle, but what will happen in the next 20 years, since we have become part of the ruling coalition?"
The only aspect of the party’s future that is set in stone, according to Shamsul, is Anwar succeeding Mahathir and becoming the eighth prime minister.
"For me that is settled. But what’s next, after Anwar?
"That is important for the younger group. We must prepare a pool of effective leaders who can bring the idea of justice to the forefront," he said.
A singular faction
Many view PKR as a party continually beset by factional struggles, and Shamsul believes that the party needs to better heed the words of its current president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who had said there is only one camp in PKR.
The party needs to focus on being united, he said, especially during this period of transition.
"The message was very clear, that the priority the party needs to take after winning is to consolidate its strength and speak with one voice.
"This is a process of transition… We cannot weaken the position of the party, if you start giving the impression of various versions.
"We cannot stop the perception, but we are working now towards becoming one team, and the progress is very good," Shamsul said.
Anwar himself has urged the party to come together, especially after his return.
"Anwar shared his views, by saying, 'I'm back and I'm in charge'. So let us work together and move forward as one team."
"I hope this party election, Anwar will contest as the president of the party.
"There should be no more ketua umum (de facto leader). This post of ketua umum was the creation of our party congress for Anwar,” the PKR vice-president told Malaysiakini in an interview.
"Now I think we are back in business, so I hope Anwar can listen to our voice, the voice of the majority.
"Let's abolish the ketua umum position so he can come back to lead the party as the president," Shamsul said.
After his first release from prison, Anwar was endorsed by PKR in 2007 AGM as its de facto leader.
At the time, he was slapped with a five-year ban from active politics due to his conviction for corruption.
Anwar was given a full royal pardon on May 16 this year, freeing him of a second sodomy charge - meaning that he can now officially return to politics and assume the premiership after Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
A quiet election
PKR's next party polls is expected to take place this August.
Its last party election in 2014 took a violent turn – with chairs and ballot boxes being thrown about – primarily due to tensions between the camps of Abdul Khalid Ibrahim and Mohamed Azmin Ali, both of whom were running for the post of deputy president at the time.
Shamsul expressed his hope that there will be no repeat of such unsavoury incidents in this year’s party elections.
"The last election was very tense, but now we are in the government, so let us have a relaxed election.
"I have faith in the members of PKR. We have gone through various elections, and the last party election was very interesting, a lot of incidents,” he said.
"I just hope that in this coming party elections, those incidents can be reduced, because we believe democracy is noisy, but we do not want it to be very noisy.
"We need to handle that, because that can create a bad perception for the people,” he stressed, adding that the eventual winners should be magnanimous in victory and the losers, gracious in defeat.
'What’s next after Anwar?'
Shamsul, who is the MP for Hang Tuah Jaya, said PKR members should take the party’s future into consideration during the elections.
"I hope this coming August elections of the party will be used by the members to elect leaders who have the vision of bringing the party to the next level.
"We have gone through 20 years of struggle, but what will happen in the next 20 years, since we have become part of the ruling coalition?"
The only aspect of the party’s future that is set in stone, according to Shamsul, is Anwar succeeding Mahathir and becoming the eighth prime minister.
"For me that is settled. But what’s next, after Anwar?
"That is important for the younger group. We must prepare a pool of effective leaders who can bring the idea of justice to the forefront," he said.
A singular faction
Many view PKR as a party continually beset by factional struggles, and Shamsul believes that the party needs to better heed the words of its current president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who had said there is only one camp in PKR.
The party needs to focus on being united, he said, especially during this period of transition.
"The message was very clear, that the priority the party needs to take after winning is to consolidate its strength and speak with one voice.
"This is a process of transition… We cannot weaken the position of the party, if you start giving the impression of various versions.
"We cannot stop the perception, but we are working now towards becoming one team, and the progress is very good," Shamsul said.
Anwar himself has urged the party to come together, especially after his return.
"Anwar shared his views, by saying, 'I'm back and I'm in charge'. So let us work together and move forward as one team."
A kleptocrat thrives when there are many "yes men" to do his bidding, for a price. The previous government had droves of these, from MBs to Cabinet Ministers to MPs to leaders of GLCs to the Civil service to the Judiciary (ouch) and uniformed servicemen. All were subservient to the ruling party, of which the Kleptocrat heads. He even keeps all the cash and jewelry in his home, doling them out as he pleases.
ReplyDeleteAllah (and Malaysians) then decided to give Wile E Coyote a second chance to redeem himself. Two years (he says) to undo the first 22. We will get a clue on whether he has changed, when he completes naming his cabinet. So far in the first 13 Ministers I see a few problematic yes-men, if that is what he wants. When he names the other 15 or so we shall see if another Kleptocrat can re-emerge.
A few Menteri Besars like from Penang, Selangor, Sabah, and now from Sarawak, not to mention Kelantan and Terengganu will not give any Putrajaya Kleptocrat wannabee too much face, since none of them come from his party.
And based on the strength of his Bersatu vs the other parties in Harapan a vote-of-no-confidence would be a simple clinical extraction, unlike before when UMNO/BN reigned supreme in Parliament.
Anwar in London:
ReplyDeleteInvited to speak at London’s Doughty Street Chambers, famous for its human rights focus, Anwar Ibrahim today stunned his audience by revealing that he has requested the firm to continue with the case they had drawn in his defence – even though he has now been fully pardoned and exonerated by the King.
“I want to have [my case] set out and reviewed in court and to have it judged purely on the principles of law – this would show the beginning of the rule of justice in Malaysia”, he explained.
This is bonkers. He already has a backdated pardon, exoneration and criminal records expunged. Why waste the courts time on this? And what if he loses the case.....again??
You know i love seeing najib kenna tortured in prison so that i got a chance to look at kaytee impression when that happens.
ReplyDeleteI will surely mark the day and get ready with popcorn and watch the destruction of najib with glee
I will "song" or shiiiiiiiok
I am just wondering how the DPM, Women's Minister, Current President of PKR, MP feels to have to give way to a man who just so happens to be her husband.
ReplyDeleteFirst she has to give way to TDM to be the PM and later the DPM post to AI and also to resign later as the Women's Minister.
Will she be forced to also give up her Parliamentary seat?
Is that what she really wants for herself and for her family?
Even the King gave her a chance to be a PM by default but she turned it down and kept the PH promise to TDM.
If only she is a Man, things would be totally different.
AI has much to be thankful for having such a partner in life.