A TEARY-EYED Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail today appealed to PKR members to hold on to the party’s ideals and reform agenda as she bid an emotional farewell to the party she had led for 20 years.

“As reformists, we must be different from the regime we replaced. Our approach must be seen to be better,” said Wan Azizah during her final speech as party president at the 20th PKR Congress in Shah Alam.

“Don’t let voters say we are the same (as the previous party). Otherwise, our struggles all this time would have come to naught. So let us prove we are better and can carry out our duties with integrity.”

Wan Azizah recounted the party’s highs and lows in its 20 year history that culminated in winning the general election last May. She also touched on her personal struggles as its leader while her husband, Anwar Ibrahim, was in jail.

After tomorrow, Anwar, who has been PKR’s de facto leader, will replace his wife as president after he won unopposed in this year’s party elections.

The 65-year-old Wan Azizah said she had faced three low periods in the last 20 years.

“The first was when Anwar was detained under the Internal Security Act (in 1998) and then tortured until the nation was rocked by the ‘black eye incident’. Many other supporters were also detained under ISA before Anwar was tried and then jailed for six years on February 14, 1999.”

Wan Azizah, who is also deputy prime minister, said PKR joined the general election in 1999 and received strong support, resulting in five Parliament seats.

The second low was from March to September in 2004 when the then-opposition pact, Barisan Alternatif, crumbled.

“I truly felt lonely as we lost badly in the 2004 general election, resulting in only one seat (Permatang Pauh). After that, many members and leaders left the party to return to Umno and attacked PKR.

“It was as if the world was dark again and there was no more shouts for reform.”

The third low was between February 2015 and the 14th general election (May 9), a period she said was marked by internal squabbles and lies.

Wan Azizah, however, did not elaborate but said that PKR got through that period while Anwar was serving his second sodomy conviction.

“Thank God, we won GE14 and everything changed. And now PKR has to carry the people’s hopes and fight for democracy and human rights based on principles of fairness, truth, and equality.”

Besides Anwar, the opening of the congress today was also attended by Amanah president Mohamad Sabu, DAP chairman Tan Kok Wai and party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, and Bersatu secretary-general Marzuki Yahya. – November 17, 2018.