MALAYSIA: Since the leak of a document stating that the party of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is going to face an uphill battle with devastating consequences in the next General Election, now a Member of Parliament (MP) in a stronghold says his seat is also at stake.
MP for Petaling Jaya Lee Chean Chung said, although his constituency – Petaling Jaya – is located in Selangor, very urban, and considered as strong and safe, in reality, it can no longer be considered guaranteed.
He also warned Anwar’s party, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), could face a similar situation as in 2004 when it won only one seat in Penang.
“The situation is actually more serious. In 2004, we almost disappeared. In the current situation, I feel we are getting closer to 2004,” he said.
The member of the PKR Central Leadership Council said this in a Chinese‑language podcast by Malaysiakini broadcast on YouTube on Friday.
The document on PKR was presented to 900 party leaders and members in an internal program. Lee was also invited to the program on May 2, but he said he could not attend.
The PKR’s internal strategic analysis identified 66 parliamentary seats the party will contest in the upcoming general election.
Of that number, only seven seats were categorised in Tier 1 (safe) compared to 13 seats as strong, followed by 17 as marginal and competitive, and 29 as difficult. Anwar’s seat in the state of Perak is also said to be ‘marginal’.
However, Lee said the problems facing PKR were not being looked into by the leadership. He said the PKR supporters feel disappointed. He said many believe the government and PKR have begun to take their support for granted.
“Whether on the ground or based on the latest feedback, the Petaling Jaya seat is no longer safe for PKR.
“Petaling Jaya has the most progressive urban voters, many voters who can change, moderate and pragmatic, who want us to focus on national issues and policies
“They have high expectations and are very concerned about reform. In that situation, it is not appropriate to regard Petaling Jaya as a safe seat,” he said.
Lee said many Pakatan Harapan (PH) and PKR supporters, especially the urban middle class, remain dissatisfied with the controversy involving the Malaysian Anti‑Corruption Commission (MACC) and its chief, Azam Baki.
He also said the investigation into former PKR Deputy President Rafizi Ramli and his aide James Chai was seen as having elements of political retaliation.
“This makes many voters and supporters feel uncomfortable. It is hard to believe. We never imagined things like this happening, even when we were the opposition.
“We were supposed to change and dismantle such a system, build a new system that is fairer and more professional. But now this is happening to our own friends,” he said.
To add insult to injury, a PKR’s student wing, Mahasiswa Keadilan Malaysia (MKM), issued a statement saying it lost confidence in the party under the leadership of Anwar Ibrahim.
Although the wing’s secretary-general, Aqeef Salih, issued a denial, the statement was published by local portals.
The MKM believes PKR has drifted further from its original reformist spirit.
“A party that once championed the spirit of reform, the courage to fight abuse of power, and the struggle to defend the people’s voice is now increasingly distant from its founding principles.
“It was once trusted by many youths and university students, but now we have lost confidence,” read the statement, which was also posted on MKM’s official Instagram account.
The damage is done, although the Secgen said the earlier media statement did not represent the wing’s official stance.
“The statement was never discussed, agreed upon, or decided through MKM’s official channels. It is merely the action of a few individuals within the central leadership who have their own agenda and are taking advantage of the MKM platform to create confusion and negative perceptions of the organisation.
“More embarrassingly, the statement did not include the name or position of the individuals responsible for issuing it. This clearly shows that it was made in an unprofessional, irresponsible manner and with ill intent,’ he said, adding, “Any party truly confident in its own position should come forward openly, rather than hiding behind the name of a student organisation.”.
