AFTER suffering several setbacks in recent state polls, PKR needs a new approach and ‘Team Rafizi Ramli’ is the right group for the job, Chang Lih Kang said.

The PKR vice-president, who is part of Rafizi’s team, said the party needed rejuvenation to sync again with the wishes of the voters.

Rafizi and party secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail are involved in a fight to become the deputy president, with each leader pledging a different approach for the party in facing the next general election.

“Voters and even some of our core supporters no longer see PKR as the party to fight for their rights and grievances,” Chang told The Malaysian Insight.

“Worse than that, they have begun to see us as just another political party vying for power,” Chang said, having joined PKR in 2004.

As such, the Tanjung Malim MP believes that former Pandan MP Rafizi’s team is the right formula to restore confidence in the reform party.

He said that while PKR has always championed grassroots issues such as economic equality and justice for all, it has fallen short after Pakatan Harapan lost control of the country in 2020.

“Even though it was a legitimate attempt to regain the mandate in 2020, we somehow have lost voter confidence, which caused us to perform badly in the state elections in Sarawak, Malacca and Johor,” the 41-year-old politician said.

PKR lost all the seats it contested in Malacca and Sarawak polls last year and could only defend one seat – Bukit Batu – in Johor last month.

Following which, Chang said the party needs a different approach and return to focusing on voter issues directly.

Unlike previous groups in party elections, Team Rafizi, whose tagline is ‘Yakini Malaysia’, has also started the ‘Ayuh Malaysia’ campaign, which aims to address voters’ issues directly with its five points: policy issues regarding food security, renewable energy, vocational and technical training, affordable housing and the democratisation of the education sector.

Chang is one of the four candidates for the vice presidents’ posts under Team Rafizi. Together with Chang, contesting for the VP post in Team Rafizi, are Negri Sembilan Menteri Besar Aminuddin Harun, Setiawangsa MP Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad and G. Manivanan.

Also on the same team are Rodzial Ismail and Napsiah Khamis, who are contesting the Wanita chief and deputy positions, and Fahmi Zainol, who is vying for youth chief.

Different approach

While some political analysts said that this year’s PKR polls will split the party, Chang said it is “less hostile”.

Compared to the previous contests for the No 2 post between Zaid Ibrahim, Khaled Ibrahim and Rafizi against Azmin, Chang described this coming election as a “friendly fight”.

“This is very different from the 2018 elections, which were very hostile. Rafizi versus Saifuddin is more like a friendly match as both have supported one another in party elections.”

Unlike other parties, PKR has yet to see any contests for the president’s post, which was first held by party founder Wan Azizah Wan Ismail followed by her husband Anwar Ibrahim.

Anwar has once again been retained unopposed this time round.

Most of the battles have revolved around the No 2 post, with the last battle between Rafizi and Azmin in 2019 being the harshest.

Although Azmin won, he later defected to Bersatu along with nine other MPs causing the Pakatan Harapan government to collapse.

What is different in this party election, said Chang, is Rafizi and Saifuddin’s approach to the party direction.

“A political party’s core focus is how to win elections and we have a different idea compared to Saifuddin.

“Team Rafizi’s approach to winning federal power is to focus on the party operations and how it regains voter confidence, while Saifuddin’s is looking at partnerships or what is otherwise known as the big tent’ approach,” Chang said.

“Our team consists of seasoned leaders such as Nik Nazmi and others who have been with the party for a long time and we believe PKR needs a fresh breath of life.

“Although, we lost the middle ground in Malacca and Johor, Barisan Nasional did not make many gains either.

“The only difference is our supporters did not show up. As such, I trust that Team Rafizi is what is needed to turn this around. Not through another big tent,” Chang said.

Physical voting for the PKR elections will be held from May 13-17, while online voting will be from May 18-20.

The party election results will be announced at the national congress on June 25. PKR is one of the few parties that allows one member one vote for all national positions. – April 30, 2022.