How can we objectively assess Wan Azizah’s capabilities?

These issues arise in the question of Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail’s candidacy for menteri besar of Selangor, a matter that has recently become thrust further into the limelight.

Upon reflection, my personal opinion is that in order to be gender neutral, Wan Azizah’s capabilities and qualifications should be measured using the same standards as we would for any male politician.

This article will attempt to do so (primarily by using track records as our primary area of concern), and thereafter as well analyze whether the debate so far surrounding her candidacy elevates or diminishes the maturity of Malaysian political discourse.

By way of preamble, there are a number of things I think everyone can agree on regarding Wan Azizah.

People like to say that she is an exemplary wife, mother, and grandmother, but I think that is not in keeping with gender neutrality. I think it is both better and equally accurate to say that she is an exemplary spouse, parent and grandparent.

There is no doubt that any of us would be truly lucky to be blessed with a spouse and partner that has proven as unflinchingly loyal as Wan Azizah, who stood by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim through what truly was some of the most horrible experience any individual could go through – slander, public humiliation, incarceration and torture, just to name a few.

Through these ordeals, Wan Azizah held her family together, and stood steadfast by her partner. The conduct of her children is for the most part a glowing testament to her skills as a parent, and the values that she has clearly worked hard to instill in them.

In short, Wan Azizah exemplifies family values that we can only hope will be a guiding star for all Malaysian families.

As a professional in her own right, there can also be no doubting Wan Azizah’s capabilities. I was told that her performance as a student earned her a place on a wall in the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, which can still be seen today – surely a matter of great pride for any Malaysian.

These things I think no one can or should contest.

We then turn to her history in politics.

Wan Azizah has been president of PKR from when it was established in 1999 (as PKN) to the present day. Just as Malaysia has known no government but BN, PKR has known no president but Wan Azizah. If I am not mistaken, she has however never actually faced a challenger for the presidency in all these years either.

Wan Azizah was the member of parliament for Permatang Pauh from 1999 to 2008, when she vacated the seat for Anwar to contest and re-enter Parliament. Prior to this vacation, she was also Opposition Leader for less than six months.

In March this year, she contested the Selangor state seat of Kajang, and won.

Reviews of her performance as a member of the legislative are somewhat mixed at best. Some feel she has done a decent job, no better or worse than average, while others feel that she has not lived up to the standards that might be expected from the president of a leading opposition party.

The fact that in her first sitting as a state assemblyperson in Selangor, all her questions were rejected by the Speaker because they were not properly prepared tends to suggest the latter.

I am unsure as to whether the format in the Selangor assembly differs greatly from that in Parliament, but it is perhaps not unreasonable to expect the president of PKR to be up to speed and fully prepared when it comes to the discharging of her duties as an elected member of the state legislative assembly.

One’s performance as a member of the legislative however, may not be particularly indicative of one’s ability to lead as an executive. Surely if we measured Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim by his oratory skills, we would find him wanting as well; although, Khalid’s dedication in sitting patiently in the state assembly to answer in great details questions from both the opposition and backbenchers alike is a feather in his cap.

To measure an individual’s ability to govern, we must look at his or her administrative and managerial experience.

In Wan Azizah’s case, the most relevant part of her record we can examine is that of party president. How has PKR fared under her leadership?

I think it is safe to say that in terms of institutional strength, PKR is one of the weakest political parties in all of Malaysia.

By way of small example, in recent weeks and months, PKR has sent out a number of press statements or announcements, only to change or retract them hours later.

The inability to provide official information in an organised fashion is a microcosm of the chaos and confusion that seems to dominate the internal administration of PKR. It also betrays an opaqueness in the decision making processes within the party, where one is never sure as exactly who is calling which shots. It is uncertain whether official minutes are kept to track which important decisions are made by which body exactly.

Nowhere is the chaos and lack of transparency in PKR more evident than in the party elections that took considerably longer (some four months) to conduct than the national elections of South Africa, Indonesia and India.

These elections were characterised by infamous incidents of chair throwing, and witnessed the exact same type of blackouts that inspired the name of PKR’s ill-conceived Black 505 rallies.

Should these electoral mishaps have happened within any BN party, they would have been crucified by PKR and netizens alike.

Any captain worth his or her salt must take responsibility for every single incident, situation and condition aboard his or her ship. If not, captaincy is meaningless.

As we evaluate Wan Azizah’s performance as a leader, it is wrong to look at her gender, race, religion or any such marker. Surely however, we must evaluate the organisations which she has led, and the manner in which she has led them.