PARTI KEADILAN Rakyat (PKR) Vice-President Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad emphasised the party's ongoing responsibility to nurture young talent to ensure its future success.
Speaking to reporters after attending a Concorde Club meeting at Wisma Bernama today, Nik Nazmi, who is also Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability, reiterated the party’s longstanding commitment to fostering a new generation of political leaders.
He highlighted the importance of continuing to develop young leaders who can contribute to the country’s political landscape.
"PKR has a proven track record of developing young leaders who began their political journeys at a very early age and have since gained invaluable experience," said Nik Nazmi, noting that many of the party's key figures, including Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, had played a crucial role in grooming new talent.
He mentioned leaders such as Economy Minister Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Chang Lih Kang, Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari, Nurul Izzah Anwar, and Minister of Communications Datuk Fahmi Fadzil, all of whom started their political careers early, many as young as their 20s.
"Anwar Ibrahim always shares that he was able to nurture leaders like Rafizi, myself, Lih Kang, Amirudin, Nurul Izzah, and Fahmi. We are all now in our 40s, but we became legislators in our 20s," he explained.
Nik Nazmi reflected on the early days of his political career when the party struggled to find enough candidates, leading to a younger generation stepping forward to assume leadership roles. “In the beginning, there weren’t enough candidates, so Amirudin and I, along with others, had to take responsibility,” he said.
“But now, the challenge has shifted. There is a long queue of potential candidates eager to contest. We must figure out how to manage this growth and avoid becoming victims of our own success.”
He added PKR must continue to attract idealistic, talented, and young professionals from across Malaysia to join the party. "It's vital that we continue to cultivate and bring in fresh, passionate talent into PKR to secure its future," Nik Nazmi said.
In the upcoming PKR party elections scheduled for May 24, Nik Nazmi confirmed his intention to defend his position as vice-president, alongside other incumbents such as Amirudin, Chang, Nurul Izzah, and Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun.
Additionally, PKR Information Chief Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil, along with the party's Deputy Information Chief 1 Datuk Seri R. Ramanan, have also announced their candidacies for vice-president posts.
The Concorde Club, a monthly informal gathering of local and foreign journalists who meet with Cabinet Ministers and policymakers, was chaired by Bernama Chairman Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai. Bernama Editor-in-Chief Arul Rajoo Durar Raj was also present at the event. – March 24, 2025
