LEE Chean Chung has resigned from his role in Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s (PKR) central leadership, marking a significant break after nearly two decades of service within the party.
In a lengthy statement, the Petaling Jaya MP said he would remain an ordinary party member and continue serving as a lawmaker until Parliament is dissolved, but made clear he could no longer align himself with the current leadership.
Lee’s political journey traces back to the reformasi era, when he served as a research officer to opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim between 2008 and 2011. He later returned to Kuantan to build grassroots support, eventually winning the Semambu state seat in 2013 — a constituency PKR had never captured before.
He recalled the early years as a period of sacrifice, describing how he relied on personal savings to sustain political work and operated out of a modest shared office.
“These were not easy years, but they shaped the spirit of the movement,” he said, reflecting on grassroots initiatives that helped build bridges across communities and sustain party operations.
Lee also played key roles within PKR’s youth wing and communications machinery, helping to introduce outreach programmes and later leading multilingual communications efforts ahead of the 15th General Election.
He was among those active during the #KitaLawan movement following Anwar’s imprisonment in 2015, a period marked by street protests, legal risks, and growing public anger over issues such as the 1MDB scandal linked to former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
Despite acknowledging the party’s eventual rise to federal power in 2018, Lee suggested that PKR has since drifted from its earlier principles.
He pointed to unmet reform promises, including equitable constituency allocations, noting that such commitments were clearly outlined in Pakatan Harapan’s election manifesto.
The immediate trigger for his resignation, however, appears to be the recent suspension of access to constituency funding systems for his parliamentary office — a move he said has affected services to voters in Petaling Jaya.
Lee criticised the lack of a formal explanation from party leadership, saying only a deputy secretary-general had responded publicly, attributing the issue to “political choices.”
“My demand is simple — a reasonable explanation,” he said, adding that both he and his constituents deserve clarity.
In a more pointed remark, Lee said the PKR he once knew no longer exists, accusing current leaders of prioritising their positions over correcting internal shortcomings.
“I can no longer remain in the leadership and work with them,” he said.
Still, he stressed that his resignation was not about personal gain, insisting that he had repeatedly taken risks throughout his career — including facing prosecution — without regard for material benefits.
Looking ahead, Lee said he would continue to play a role in Parliament, particularly in pushing for long-promised institutional reforms such as term limits for the prime minister, separation of prosecutorial powers, and freedom of information laws.
His departure from the party’s central leadership adds to growing questions about internal cohesion within PKR, even as it remains a key pillar of the unity government. – June 12, 2026
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