Welcoming back ex-leaders a double-edged sword, PKR warned
12 hours ago
Keerthi Shanggar
Analysts say it could reignite the Reformasi fire, but could also lead to a fight between returnees and incumbents for party positions and seats to contest in elections.
Analysts say the return of party veterans such as Tian Chua and Xavier Jayakumar can revive the Reformasi spirit, but question its relevance today.
PETALING JAYA: The electoral value of welcoming veterans like Tian Chua and Xavier Jayakumar back to PKR may be less significant than the party could hope for, according to analysts.
James Chin of the University of Tasmania said their return could pave the way for a revival of the party’s Reformasi roots but could also trigger fresh rivalries over positions. However, Wong Chin Huat of Sunway University said Reformasi may not even be as appealing anymore.
Another analyst, Ahmad Fauzi Abdul Hamid of Universiti Sains Malaysia, suggested that their return could help stop further erosion of the party’s grassroots support.
On Monday, Xavier confirmed he was rejoining PKR after party president Anwar Ibrahim urged marginalised veterans to return. Tian Chua has already been accepted back into the party.
Chin told FMT that their return could open the door to more former party members. On the other hand, he warned that it could also trigger fresh rivalries over seats and leadership positions between the returning members and those who stayed.
He pointed out that Xavier and Tian Chua are not expected to be content with just working in the background.
“They will be after leadership positions, and unless you’ve got seats to give to these people, I don’t see how it’s going to work,” he said, referring to constituencies that the returning members could contest in elections.
Chin said Tian Chua would want to return to the Batu parliamentary seat, which he served for four terms before being dropped as a candidate in 2022.
He was expelled from the party that year for contesting the same seat as an independent.
Xavier, who quit PKR in 2021, was the MP for Kuala Langat.
Wong expressed doubt that the return of former leaders could boost Malay support for PKR. The party has historically struggled to woo Malay voters away from PAS and Umno, whose current partnership has made them even more formidable in the Malay heartland.
With PAS’s support, Umno won big in the July 11 Johor election and, under a seat-sharing deal between them, they also took Negeri Sembilan from Pakatan Harapan (PH) just three weeks later.
Wong also pointed out that currently, figures from the Reformasi and Pakatan Rakyat eras have limited appeal among younger non-Malay voters. Pakatan Rakyat was the precursor to Pakatan Harapan.
Instead, he said Anwar should consider a reconciliation with Rafizi Ramli and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, former PKR leaders who now lead Parti Bersama Malaysia.
Wong also cautioned against inviting those aligned with former deputy president Azmin Ali back into the party.
Azmin played a major role in the “Sheraton Move” that toppled the PH government, then led by Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
“Many PH voters abhor Azmin and his faction. Welcoming them back into PKR’s fold may fuel cynicism and resentment within and outside the party,” Wong said.
Fauzi, who also advocates a rekindling of the “Reformasi” spirit, said the returning veterans could be included in roadshows to remind younger party workers of the challenges PKR faced when it was in the opposition.
He called for a broad amnesty for former leaders rather than selectively deciding who should be allowed back, citing Umno’s “Rumah Bangsa” initiative, which saw the return of the sacked Khairy Jamaluddin and suspended Hishammuddin Hussein into the party.
He said such an approach could even open the possibility of rapprochement with Bersatu, where Azmin is a senior leader.
James Chin of the University of Tasmania said their return could pave the way for a revival of the party’s Reformasi roots but could also trigger fresh rivalries over positions. However, Wong Chin Huat of Sunway University said Reformasi may not even be as appealing anymore.
Another analyst, Ahmad Fauzi Abdul Hamid of Universiti Sains Malaysia, suggested that their return could help stop further erosion of the party’s grassroots support.
On Monday, Xavier confirmed he was rejoining PKR after party president Anwar Ibrahim urged marginalised veterans to return. Tian Chua has already been accepted back into the party.
Chin told FMT that their return could open the door to more former party members. On the other hand, he warned that it could also trigger fresh rivalries over seats and leadership positions between the returning members and those who stayed.
He pointed out that Xavier and Tian Chua are not expected to be content with just working in the background.
“They will be after leadership positions, and unless you’ve got seats to give to these people, I don’t see how it’s going to work,” he said, referring to constituencies that the returning members could contest in elections.
Chin said Tian Chua would want to return to the Batu parliamentary seat, which he served for four terms before being dropped as a candidate in 2022.
He was expelled from the party that year for contesting the same seat as an independent.
Xavier, who quit PKR in 2021, was the MP for Kuala Langat.
Wong expressed doubt that the return of former leaders could boost Malay support for PKR. The party has historically struggled to woo Malay voters away from PAS and Umno, whose current partnership has made them even more formidable in the Malay heartland.
With PAS’s support, Umno won big in the July 11 Johor election and, under a seat-sharing deal between them, they also took Negeri Sembilan from Pakatan Harapan (PH) just three weeks later.
Wong also pointed out that currently, figures from the Reformasi and Pakatan Rakyat eras have limited appeal among younger non-Malay voters. Pakatan Rakyat was the precursor to Pakatan Harapan.
Instead, he said Anwar should consider a reconciliation with Rafizi Ramli and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, former PKR leaders who now lead Parti Bersama Malaysia.
Wong also cautioned against inviting those aligned with former deputy president Azmin Ali back into the party.
Azmin played a major role in the “Sheraton Move” that toppled the PH government, then led by Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
“Many PH voters abhor Azmin and his faction. Welcoming them back into PKR’s fold may fuel cynicism and resentment within and outside the party,” Wong said.
Fauzi, who also advocates a rekindling of the “Reformasi” spirit, said the returning veterans could be included in roadshows to remind younger party workers of the challenges PKR faced when it was in the opposition.
He called for a broad amnesty for former leaders rather than selectively deciding who should be allowed back, citing Umno’s “Rumah Bangsa” initiative, which saw the return of the sacked Khairy Jamaluddin and suspended Hishammuddin Hussein into the party.
He said such an approach could even open the possibility of rapprochement with Bersatu, where Azmin is a senior leader.
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