PARTI Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) members in Melaka were told to put aside factionalism and consolidate unity following the party’s internal elections .
Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin, Chairman of PKR Melaka’s State Leadership Council (MPN), in a recent speech said such actions can signal the danger of internal division, especially as the party prepares for the Melaka state election next year.
“If we truly want consensus, there must be no one carrying a ‘knife on the left’ or stirring up petty issues.”
He explained that the metaphor suggests the need for vigilance against hidden agendas or lingering suspicion after party elections, urging members to reject cliques and instead fortify party cohesion.
“We are a reformist party, and we must have the courage to embrace change,” he said during a press conference following the 27 Years of Reformasi celebration hosted by PKR Melaka at a hotel in Bandar Melaka on Saturday night.
Shamsul, who also serves as Political Secretary to the Prime Minister, announced that the annual Reformasi commemoration — which was held nationally last year — will now be institutionalised as a yearly event in Melaka.
Grassroots unity, he said, is critical to facing the evolving political landscape.
“The programme has three key goals — to honour early reformists through recognition, to retrace the path of our struggle, and to reunite allies from various parties who stood together since the Reformasi era.”
He added that events like this help rekindle ties with comrades across the political spectrum.
“For example, Datuk Hassan Baharom, one of the earliest activists for Keadilan in Melaka and now a member of Parti Amanah, was present tonight.”
He described the attendance of hundreds of grassroots members at the gathering as a testament to shared commitment and collective spirit in strengthening the party ahead of the coming electoral challenges. - September 21, 2025