GEORGE TOWN – It is not unusual if pundits here predict that PKR is destined to be a goner in the next general election, but the party’s deputy chief in Penang has cautioned them not to underestimate its potential.
Sim Tze Tzin, who is also Bayan Baru MP, said that many critics have been slamming PKR since the 1990s, as the party was largely seen as an underdog despite having a substantial membership base.
Prior to the 2018 general election, Sim said, many political scientists had forecasted that PKR would lose badly, especially since its leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was then behind bars.
“What happened in 2018 was that PKR alone delivered up to 50 (parliamentary) seats.
“Underestimate us at your own peril. I think we can do fairly well,” he said in an interview with The Vibes.
Sim said that PKR has often been looked down upon in the past two decades because its rivals see it as a threat due to a few factors.
It is a multiracial party led by a Malay, a rarity in modern history, while retaining a following from among a diverse range of ethnic groups in the country. Anwar, who is now party president, is a former Umno deputy president.
“Our strengths can also be our weaknesses as we are unable to meet the demands of all. So, some quarters would be unhappy. We cannot appease them.
“Some have lost patience and betrayed the cause,” he added.
PKR’s political struggle resonates with the people because PKR is fighting for causes which are crucial for Malaysia to progress – zero tolerance to corruption, getting rid of nepotism or cronyism, upholding justice, and sharing the economic pie fairer.
“If this struggle makes people hate us, it is nothing more than envy, not just politics,” he said.
Asked whether the actions of DAP MPs Ong Kian Ming and Tony Pua, who have reportedly opted out of contesting in the next general election after faring poorly in their party polls, should be emulated, Sim said the election is a sign of democracy functioning.
“It is our strength. But we hope people can be best informed so they can make the right choice instead of making one which they would come to regret,” he said.
Sim, who is defending his Bayan Baru division head post, said that he welcomes his challenger Datuk Abdul Halim Hussein, who is a state executive councillor and former state assembly speaker.
“We are friends and we wish each other the best. But let me stress that this is not a proxy fight but one which concerns leadership at the local level,” said Sim.
He said Halim is seen as the proxy of PKR deputy president hopeful Rafizi Ramli, whereas he is regarded as an ally of Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, who is challenging Rafizi for the post.
“I support Saifuddin as he is also an assemblyman in the Bayan Baru constituency but I also get along with Rafizi. He brings idealism and ideas which PKR can leverage from.”
It is just the leadership style which differs between Saifuddin and Rafizi, said Sim.
Sim is also confident that the party can easily close ranks after the party polls unlike in 2019, when the election became toxic and was the catalyst leading to the eventual betrayal of the party. – The Vibes, May 16, 2022
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