PKR’S current leadership crisis is feared to weaken Pakatan Harapan as a coalition and also put into question Anwar Ibrahim’s bid to become the next prime minister, said academics.

They told the Malaysian Insight that it’s a serious concern as a fragmented and disorganised PKR will weaken the PH coalition as a whole.

Political scientist Dr Azmil Tayeb of Universiti Sains Malaysia said PKR needs to get its act together and individuals in the party need to stop their naked pursuit of power and start focusing on governing.

“Anwar Ibrahim as the party leader is between a rock and a hard place. He needs to impose party discipline and cohesion, namely by suspending or ejecting Mohamed Azmin Ali and his faction.

“But Azmin is an influential figure in the party and holds sway over many members.

“Thus, a move to further marginalise Azmin will further weaken the party, possibly by driving Azmin into another party like Bersatu or him establishing a new one, which possibly explains why Anwar has not gone beyond making snide remarks about Azmin.”  

However, by not acting against Azmin, Azmil said, people perceive Anwar as a weak leader who risks splintering the party and the PH coalition,

Historian Ariffin Omar regards the PKR crisis as a disaster that could cost PH dearly.

“It is supposed to be the bedrock of PH, but it seems to be disintegrating.”

This could erode the public’s confidence in the coalition, which could spell a bleak future for the pact if it can’t get its act together, he told The Malaysian Insight.

The clashes that occurred at PKR’s recent congress reinforced the perception that the split within the party is serious, said Professor Zaharom Nain of Nottingham University Malaysia.

A new, inexperienced government doesn’t need this from its largest component party, he said, adding that Anwar and Azmin are selfish to continue the infighting.

“These self-serving politicians must remember the reform agenda and the interests of Malaysia and Malaysians must override their petty, short-sighted motivations. They owe us that.”

Anwar would be a poor candidate for prime minister if he cannot get his act together and get his party united, said Zaharom.

Lawyer-political consultant Vince Tan asserted that the “battle” between Anwar’s faction and Azmin’s group has been going on for a long while, as evident in the last party elections in 2014 where its youth wing, Angkatan Muda Keadilan, saw a contest between both factions vying for its top position.

While he feels that the only way forward for Malaysia is to give Anwar a chance to become prime minister, PH’s current performance may lead to it becoming a one-term government.

Like Azmil and the rest, Dr Chris Chong of Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman considered PKR’s crisis as serious enough to affect PH, given its largest share of parliamentary seats.

However, he said, it would also depend on how the PH leadership deals with the fallout in PKR.

Chong said Anwar’s attempt to be prime minister depends on the number of Azmin’s MPs who are willing to walk out of PKR.

It is ironical, said executive director of research outfit Saudara, Lim Hong Siang, that PKR, as a component party with the largest number of seats in the Dewan Rakyat, is the one factor that is most unstable in the coalition.

“It is like a time-bomb waiting to explode.”

The possibility of Anwar becoming prime minister, Lim said, depends on the political uncertainty and changes emerging now and in the future.

“Anwar has left the administrative system for more than 20 years and therefore, there are generations that have not come to know Anwar as deputy prime minister-cum-finance minister.

“They can only assess his leadership qualities through his leadership in PKR, and thus, what happened in the last one year since Anwar officially became the party president could clearly tarnish his image or at the very least, give a less positive perception.

“Equally disturbing, PKR has squandered a golden opportunity to refurbish its image as a multi-ethnic party that could provide the way forward for a Malaysia meant for all Malaysians because of the said power struggle,” Lim added.

However, Professor Ahmad Fauzi Abdul Hamid of USM has a different take on Anwar’s endeavour to be the country’s next prime minister.

“To insist that a political leader cannot be prime minister because he can’t even unite his own party is spurious and utopian.

“For, even those acknowledged as good leaders have had to put down internal dissent and rebellion at some point in their career.”

In Islamic history, Fauzi said, internal insurrection arose as soon as Prophet Muhammad died by some Muslims who refused to pay zakat.

Do we say, then, that Caliph Abu Bakr was not worthy as a leader when he sought to fight the rebels, he asked.

“And in more modern times, Dr Mahathir’s (Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad) uncompromising recalcitrance and single-mindedness, always believing he is in the right all the time, led to the biggest splits within the Malay community in post-Merdeka Malay politics.

“Is he then a necessarily bad leader? Despite his above shortcomings, nobody denies the good Dr Mahathir has done to the nation during the roaring 1990s, when Malaysia seemed to be on the verge of acquiring the newly industrialising country status, before the economic troubles of 1997-98 came about.

“On the flip side of the matter, I would even say that this split in the party has offered Anwar the opportunity to prove his mettle as a future prime minister.

“Anwar’s diplomatic skills are being tested to the utmost by this crisis, but isn’t this what is needed for one to emerge as resilient national leader at times when ethno-religious relations among communities in Malaysia are not at their best?” – December 10, 2019.