AS Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) heads into its upcoming party election, it does so not merely to elect new leaders but to decide its political destiny.
Once the standard-bearer of reform in Malaysian politics, PKR now teeters on the edge of becoming the very thing it once sought to dismantle a party driven by personality cults, race-based politics and the raw pursuit of power.
The rise of factionalism and the creeping influence of political operatives with UMNO and BERSATU-style instincts threaten to hollow out the ideals that once inspired Malaysians to believe in something better.
This party election will not just reshape PKR’s leadership structure it may mark the beginning of its irreversible decline.
PKR’s foundation was born of struggle. The Reformasi movement, sparked by the sacking and imprisonment of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in 1998, gave rise to a party rooted in principles of justice, democratic reform, and multiracial unity.
For years, PKR positioned itself as the antidote to the race-based and patronage-laden politics of UMNO, offering Malaysians a genuine alternative to the status quo.
Its message resonated particularly with urban voters, progressive Malays, and non-Malay communities who saw in PKR a party that could transcend the old politics and lead a new Malaysia.
But time has not been kind to PKR’s identity. The brutal realities of coalition politics, electoral compromise, and internal power struggles have taken a toll. The defections that led to the 2020 Sheraton Move were a body blow not just politically, but morally.
Since then, the party has struggled to reclaim its narrative. Worse, it has opened its doors willingly or otherwise to individuals who bring with them the very traits PKR was created to oppose.
The traits of UMNO and BERSATU politics are now firmly embedded within PKR’s leadership ecosystem: intra-party rivalries defined by personality over policy, strategic alliances made without regard for ideology, and a growing emphasis on Malay-centric narratives to capture votes.
The upcoming party elections will only solidify this shift. With party warlords mobilising for control, and familiar faces from other parties being parachuted into key roles, the writing is on the wall: the reformasi spirit is being suffocated by political pragmatism.
These developments are deeply troubling not just for long-time PKR members, but for its voter base. The party’s strength has always been its diversity its ability to appeal to Malaysians across ethnic and religious lines, grounded in a shared desire for justice and institutional change.
That strength is now at risk. Non-Malay voters, who were once among the party’s staunchest supporters, are increasingly disillusioned. They see the party abandoning its reformist core and adopting the same ethno-populist tactics as the parties it once condemned.
This sense of betrayal will likely manifest at the ballot box in GE16. The electoral base that supported PKR throughout its most difficult years may not be willing to do so again.
Urban voters, the youth, and civil society actors are already exploring other alternatives be it Muda, independents, or staying home altogether.
The warning signs are clear: the base is eroding, and the trust is gone.
One might argue that PKR has no choice that to survive in Malaysia’s polarised political landscape, it must adopt some of the tactics that have proven effective for UMNO and BERSATU.
But this is a false choice. Winning elections by abandoning core principles is not survival it’s surrender. PKR was never meant to be just another Malay party or just another tool of political expediency. It was meant to be a movement one that could reshape Malaysia from the ground up.
If PKR goes down the path of expediency, it will not be alone. BERSATU’s own evolution from a reformist splinter of UMNO to a mirror image of it is a cautionary tale.
What begins as necessary compromise quickly becomes entrenched behaviour.
Soon, the party becomes indistinguishable from its predecessors, locked into the same cycles of patronage, race-baiting, and elite preservation.
The voters see this for what it is: a betrayal.
There is still time for PKR to change course. This party election could be a moment of reflection and recalibration. It could prioritise leaders with a proven commitment to reform, empower grassroots voices, and recommit to multiracial politics in a way that re-energises its base.
But that will require courage the courage to say no to easy power, to reject the old ways, and to resist the seduction of short-term gains.
It will also necessitate humility to acknowledge that the party has deviated from its original path and that the reformasi agenda demands more than mere rhetoric; it requires structural safeguards against co-option.
Without this reckoning, PKR will not be a vehicle of reform. It will be just another party in a system too broken to fix from within.
In many ways, this election is a final test.
Can PKR rediscover its soul? Can it rebuild trust with those who once believed in its promise? Or will it become yet another chapter in Malaysia’s long story of political disillusionment?
Come GE16, the verdict will be clear. But by then, the damage may be done.
PKR stands at a crossroads reform or regression. The choice and its consequences will shape not just the party, but the future of Malaysian democracy. – May 23, 2025
R. Paneir Selvam is the principal consultant of Arunachala Research & Consultancy Sdn Bhd, a think tank specialising in strategic national and geopolitical matters.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
Main image: Harian Metro
