PKR – a troubled paradise of hope

Lately, PKR has been the subject of interest with rumours of disunity swirling and magnified across the media.

Top leaders such as – Anwar Ibrahim, Azmin Ali, Zuraida Kamaruddin, Nurul Izzah and Rafizi Ramli – became the journalists go-to-person in covering news on the party. According to the chart, president Anwar Ibrahim is the most popular from being granted full-pardon by the Agong to becoming MP of Port Dickson to President of PKR.

While this was the natural process of preparing Anwar as the next Prime Minister according to what is promised, issues after issues were arising within the party.

Starting from the speculation on Mahathir preferring Azmin as the next Prime Minister by specifically ‘handpicking’ him as the Minister of Economics Affair; then came civil war within PKR during the party leadership election, Azmin’s camp and Rafizi’s camp; Nurul Izzah’s sudden resignation from her leadership positions in PKR; and Azmin openly questioned Anwar Ibrahim on his party leadership appointments, Rafizi was appointed as one of the PKR vice-presidents.

The situation only got worse when recently PKR vice-president Zuraida Kamaruddin made a veiled attack on Anwar Ibrahim questioning party leaders whom she said undermined democracy by filling the top tier leaderships with his own people.

Looking at the current situation in PKR, we can see that more and more people dare to stand against Anwar in questioning his decisions; and these people are not just normal members of the party but the top leaders. The party seems to be in a chaotic wave with its party members not being on the same page in championing the real cause prior to GE-14.

With the current mess, will PKR able to execute its own party agenda of government reform (Reformasi)?