PKR’s new squad with judgement day nearing

By admin-s On Oct 16, 2014

(MMO) – If the worst happens, then without the talismanic ex-deputy prime minister, the party has to march on. To where?

Imagine a political party. It is a challenging proposition, to get every member on the same page, let alone use the formed consensus to persuade the voting population.

When you factor this imagining is happening in Malaysia for a party out of power, then challenging starts to look like impossible.

Welcome to the inner sanctum of the nation’s most ambitious party, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR).

Its continuing brief:

Keep hundreds of thousands of members plugged in to ideology and prevailing struggles; invigorate tens of thousands to be physically present when required; inspire thousands to work for free and sacrifice personal time to assume a myriad of roles demanding constant discipline; select hundreds of candidates with links to prospective constituencies and force them to toil tirelessly for years with a chance of a candidacy, let alone a winning campaign; and rely on a limited line-up of national leaders who can balance scope, legacy, stress of systematic intimidation and frustrating internal competition without forgetting a great leader forges consensus not rely on a temporary majority.

Working bottom up, the leaders set the tone. October 13’s announcement of the new leadership offers a peek — and perhaps a prognosis — of the next general election.

There is an air of familiarity about the line-up, it is “the what” under them which warrants this analysis.

Rafizi here, Rafizi there, Rafizi everywhere (Hail the sec-gen!)

The assumed omnipresence of Rafizi Ramli within the party — strategist, economist, writer, election commander, Anwar confidante and graft-buster — has always caused envy and awe in equal measure, but the appointment as secretary-general when he has just been elected vice-president has resulted in the expected refrain, is the party short of good people?

The presence of too many regular faces in all the key posts does not augur well with the claim this is a party that lets everyone with talent to rise without being bruised by invisible barriers. Since the seamless progress in the party, why are only the old guards at the top?

While the truth is probably more palatable, that the leadership especially Rafizi are never too shy to explain decisions, politics is about perception. Right now, the jury is not smiling.

However, that aside, what’s on the ex-strategy chief’s plate?

For Rafizi, the present situation will be new. This is not the NOW (National Oversight and Whistleblowers Centre) office in Sungai Besi where the former oil executive can be found, and when needed wheezing in and out of party headquarters and dealing with personalities to get his pet projects up and running.

Now, he has to set the tempo for a whole party, and perhaps even take several steps back to move integral pieces in the party riddle without being a lightning rod for the media. In short, he has to build a party apparatus, not himself. Patton, not Kennedy.

An organisation cannot be discoursed to existence, it is a bit by bit brick-laying exercise starting with identifying who you want to build it with?

Nurul Izzah, our own Monash at Amiens or Custer at Little Bighorn?

The party of masses that the Puteri Reformasi has grown up in is without doubt a mismatch when assessing its potential and size versus organisational strength. In a long list of organisational nightmares, its election machinery remains the weakest.

Nurul Izzah has to turn things around. It was a sputtering engine in 2013. Good candidates in good seats with a decent team led by the capable candidate brought wins. Otherwise, seats were lost. A great machinery would assist decent candidates in decent seats.

What will do in GE14?

Sixty-five parliamentary seats, 18 seats in Selangor’s assembly, enough seats to form government in Perak, Negeri Sembilan and Malacca, decent showing in the remaining Semenanjung states, and avoid calamities in Borneo over seats, autonomy, partnerships and funding.

Nurul Izzah’s trial by fire begins with Sarawak polls next year.

Every Borneo campaign starts with bold overreaching mission statements backed by shows of solidarity, and inch by inch, the party succumbs to being labelled a Semenanjung outfit telling a long forgotten and mistreated people that hope will fill the empty tanks of boats already booked with full payments by the opponent to transport voters who may lose electricity and other necessities in the aftermath of the old guys still staying in power.

Generals are the sum value of their staff, and almost all middle and senior line leaders in PKR’s election machinery are men. She has to appear competent. In a short time, the party and the country will know first-hand how much organising Nurul Izzah was responsible for in Lembah Pantai in 2008 and 2013, defeating sitting ministers.

This man from Penampang

PKR has never won a parliamentary seat in Borneo, until last year. Darell Leiking is only an appointed vice-president, but considering the performance gap over there for the party, the highest official from there in the party hierarchy has the opportunity to become a game-changer.

To begin, the party needs to know what is possible in Borneo for GE14. Acknowledging that Barisan Nasional (BN) has too many seats in Sabah and Sarawak does not on its own become an argument that Pakatan Rakyat can win more seats. There is a reason why they win there.If Darell can map out the electoral reality then he can chart a campaign which is founded on grassroots strength rather than righteous objection to the corruption and poverty.

He is the first to win a ticket to Parliament there; the challenge is to replicate that success elsewhere.