The election process in Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) this time is slightly different compared with the party’s previous election following the amendments in the party’s constitution last year which also saw revisions in its election regulations.
The remodelled constitution allows all party members to vote for divisional leaders as well as the 25 members of the central leadership council including the president, deputy president and four vice-presidents posts. The new ordinance makes this election interesting because all positions except that of the president (currently held by Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail) will be contested. The one that steals most attention would be the contest for the deputy PKR president position which is expected to be a three-way battle between Azmin Ali, Dato’ Zaid Ibrahim and Mustapa Kamil Ayub.
There are some other members that’s been said to be interested in the deputy post after Dr Syed Husin Ali announced his decision to make way to younger leaders though Azmin, Zaid and Mustapa are undoubtedly the most popular and expected to receive top nominations from the party.
So far things have not been so harmonious in PKR’s internal affairs leading to the election for the No 2 post. The recent conducts of supporters of two particular candidates contesting for the post may just be a preamble to more ruthlessness to come.
The Backbiting Begins
Zaid who is PKR Supreme Council Member had earlier expressed his concerns over transparency particularly on the election committee. His fear is reasonable as a significant number of PKR members came from Umno. This is most probably because he himself had firsthand exposure to the manipulations in elections during his stints in Umno and Minister in the Prime Minister's Department.
He also has indicated in his blog that certain forces were at work to undermine him and drew comparison of his situation with what happened to the late Umno stalwart Tun Ghafar Baba in the past. Zaid recalled when he joined PKR a year ago he was hailed as a hero but now he was being branded as an Umno agent on a mission to destroy the party.
“My loyalty has been questioned, but loyalty to whom? Perhaps, I am not loyal to the party’s cause or to the highest leadership, I don’t know. Perhaps these MPs will come forward and explain why my nomination will not be supported at their press conferences to show support for the great Anwar-Azmin combination,” said Zaid in his blog.
He also revealed that his rivals had paid a popular blogger to tarnish his name. “The blogger was asked to write that I will pay RM20,000 to the branch that nominates me, and that I was tasked by Daim Zainuddin (former finance minister) to destroy PKR,” he said.
If his allegation is true, it will surely give a very bad impact to PKR. My question is why have these members resolved to committing such scrupulous tactics towards Zaid? Why are people who are believed to be supporters of Azmin going all out to declare their endorsements for him while chastening Zaid? With the integrity Zaid had shown by giving up his minister post for a noble cause in 2008 – the year he was named among one of the most generous and interesting philanthropists in Asia by Forbes magazine – make Zaid one of PKR’s most valuable asset? As a party that claims to be more open, transparent, honest and democratic than Umno, these sort of rival-bashing and character assassination are simply unacceptable.
Cracks in PKR?
Also the open statements by several PKR MPs and senators expressing support for Azmin for the deputy post should not have happened. These endorsements done publicly are irrational as it could be perceived as escalating cracks within PKR. Issuing these statements actually reveals the existence of a powerful political group within PKR. It also shows malevolence in the contenders, namely Azmin, in his over-ambitiousness to dominate the party leadership at all cause, even at the expense of the party’s image. Maybe the claims by former members Wee Choo Keong and Zulkifli Noordin that there are “Little Napoleons” in PKR that contributed to their conflicts with the party are actually true.
Besides that, Zaid was also attacked on moral issues. In a letter addressed to Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, 32 reasons were cited ranging from moral grounds to why Zaid is not a suitable candidate for leadership. The letter accused Zaid of being involved in money politics during his stint in Umno and branded the former Umno MP and senator as “kaki botol” (alcoholic) and gambler. It also accused him of not having any religious foundation and that he was once sued by PAS over a hudud law issue. Apart from this, the letter also called him a liar and described him as a vengeful person. If that’s not enough, it also said that Zaid is liberal in his views and lacked the Malay spirit. Should he be picked, the letter warned, it would be a personal victory for Zaid and not a victory for the people.
This made me to ask another question: If Zaid is that bad of a leader (and man), why did PKR accept him in the first place?
I still remember when PKR supremo Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had described Zaid’s entry into PKR as a positive development which would provide a boost for the party. During the early days a PKR member, he was indeed hailed as a hero. But now, everything has changed just because he declared to contest the Party’s No 2 post.
Divided into Three
In general, we can see that there are three camps that exists within PKR all competing for control. The first group is former Umno members that are supporters of Azmin. The second camp is made up of the liberal and leftist group represented by Zaid and Tian Chua, while the third one are majority Malay Muslims represented by Mustaffa Kamil Ayub.
Zaid’s camp seems to consist of influential politicians of respectable calibre who fit to take on the PKR’s struggle and continue doing just that without Anwar in the picture. These are the members who have what it takes to make PKR a truly liberal and multiracial party. This obviously has caused uneasiness among Anwar’s golden boy Azmin and his supporters as the growing influence and popularity of Zaid and his backers would thwart the Gombak MP’s ambition to occupy senior positions in the party.
Whatever it is, I think Azmin and his supporters made a big booboo for all the smearing tactics against Zaid. Same goes for the declaration of endorsement by Azmin’s supporters’ as these actions would only expound Azmin’s greed and lust for party position. After all, many of us know that Azmin only managed to climb up the ranks faster than anyone else because he’s got something on Anwar.
Who is Anwar’s Family Supporting?
The special relationship between Anwar and Azmin is no secret. Azmin may be described as Anwar’s most loyal follower as he has been with Anwar for more than 20 years. If Anwar wants to ensure that his agenda in PKR still continues while he is out of action, Azmin would be the most suitable person to make sure it would be in place. Azmin’s high posts, loyalty and the support he receives from other leaders in PKR over these years makes him more than a valid candidate but his readiness to be Anwar’s puppet steps up his chances by far. With Azmin at the helm, Anwar don’t have to worry too much about PKR changing against the latter’s will.
However, the close relationship between the two is also used by Anwar’s enemies against him. One-time close friend of Anwar, Datuk K.S. Nalla-Karupan had claimed that is a ‘secret’ as to why Azmin is so special to Anwar. He had given Anwar or his wife Wan Azizah chance to spill the beans or otherwise he would, though, so far, nothing had been revealed by any parties. So, if Azmin managed to defeat Zaid, it is not possible if this reproach would be used against Anwar and his golden boy by PKR’s enemies in the next General Election.
Meanwhile, Anwar’s daughter the Lembah Pantai MP, Nurul Izzah has already publicly shown her inclinations towards Zaid. Observers find this rather interesting as Nurul Izzah is not in line with her dad. There are also speculations that there is something not right about Nurul Izzah not backing Azmin. This has strengthened Nalla-Karupan’s statement about the ‘secret’ between Azmin and Anwar.
In the meantime, PKR president Wan Azizah herself had shown indications that she does not favour Azmin as her deputy. We shall have to wait until October to find out who among the three, or rather two, candidates will come out as champion in the battle for supremacy in the party.
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