PKR needs to develop leaders capable of matching party president Anwar Ibrahim to meet the challenges ahead, following its lacklustre performance in the last three state elections, an analyst said.
Tawfik Yaakub of Universiti Malaya said Anwar, who is also the prime minister, remained the party’s greatest political ‘asset’.
However, he said PKR’s heavy reliance on Anwar had resulted in other party leaders taking a back seat.
Tawfik said the PKR congress in Melaka this weekend should therefore be used as an opportunity to call for a shift from an Anwar-centric approach towards a more team-based leadership model.
PKR needs a stronger leadership team
Tawfik said Anwar could remain PKR’s ‘pillar’, but should not always be the face of the party.
‘When a large chunk of the election narrative revolves around one leader, every state election eventually becomes an easy referendum on the prime minister and the federal government,’ he told FMT.
‘This causes local candidates, state issues and PKR’s second-generation leaders to be overshadowed during elections.’
He said PKR needed to develop leaders with strong understanding of the economy, Malay-Muslim issues, governance and institutional reform.
‘Voters need to see that PKR has a team capable of governing Malaysia, rather than merely having one strong prime minister,’ he said.
The PKR congress this Saturday comes after Pakatan Harapan’s defeats in the Sabah, Johor and, most recently, Negeri Sembilan state elections.
Negeri Sembilan was the latest state to see PH suffer a setback, having been governed by the coalition since 2018.
The congress also comes a week after Nurul Izzah Anwar stepped down as the party’s deputy president to pursue further studies.
Nurul Izzah’s resignation highlights need for collective leadership
Tawfik said Nurul Izzah’s resignation underscored the need for collective leadership within PKR.
He said vice-presidents, the secretary-general, state chairmen and wing leaders should be given clear political roles based on their respective strengths.
‘Some should be tasked with strengthening support in Malay-majority seats, while others should oversee urban and youth voters, manage election strategy and serve as policy spokespeople,’ he said.
National Council of Professors fellow Azmi Hassan said PKR did not appear to have anyone on an equal footing with Anwar.
PKR’s political strategy under scrutiny
‘This raises questions about the party’s ability to inspire voters at a time when it is facing pressure both internally and from its political rivals,’ Azmi said.
He also expected the congress to focus on the Melaka state election, particularly the possibility of cooperation between PH and another party.
‘Will they go solo as they did in Johor and Negeri Sembilan, or will they negotiate with other parties?’ he said.
Azmi said this would be an issue for delegates to consider.
