Wan Azizah is the wrong candidate

By admin-s Last updated Apr 14, 2015

A leader that cannot be trusted to carry out her duties as a representative of the people is a leader that has failed, and Azizah has not proven herself to be trustworthy in her stewardship of Kajang.

Scott Ng, Free Malaysia Today

Wan Azizah Ismail is an extraordinary woman. Not many people could deal with a husband being thrown into jail not once, but twice, and become the figurehead of one of the most enduring movements the political world has seen. She is a role model for many women out there, proof that gender does not determine the measure of one’s success in politics.

But she is not the right candidate for Permatang Pauh. At least, not right now.

For all her achievements, Wan Azizah cannot lead PKR as it is now. The party is in dire need of a strong, capable leader, especially now when the party is split between Azmin Ali and Nurul Izzah. The vacuum left by Anwar has left the party directionless, and it often seems like one hand knows not what the other is doing.

For Azizah to be a capable leader of the party, she must assert dominance and control of the egos within it. She must also prove herself capable as an elected representative, which was not in question until it was revealed that she had barely set foot in Kajang since winning a seat there. A leader that cannot be trusted to carry out her duties as a representative of the people is a leader that has failed, and Azizah has not proven herself to be trustworthy in her stewardship of Kajang.

In Permatang Pauh, PKR has an incredible opportunity to make a statement. Fielding a dynamic candidate could re-energise the party, considering the symbolic importance of Permatang Pauh. As Anwar’s traditional stronghold, the candidate fielded there will carry the weight and responsibility of his predecessor.

Anwar’s family does not have to continue being in power in Permatang Pauh just because it is his stronghold. Instead, PKR could leverage on the legacy of Anwar in that place to establish the credentials of a new leader.

Wan Azizah no longer seems to have a heart for politics, and this responsibility is a burden that she should not have to bear, especially considering her age and the effort she put in to keep PKR running while Anwar languished in prison the last time around. It is indeed the height of unfairness to expect her to keep fighting Anwar’s fight for him.

Then comes the matter of the politics within Pakatan Rakyat. Anwar’s absence is palpable, and the coalition stands on the brink of dissolution with PAS making overtures to Umno to realise its hudud dream. Anwar was very much the linchpin of the party because he knew how to handle the disparate egos in the coalition. Whoever assumes leadership of PKR, ostensibly the candidate at Permatang Pauh, will need to be capable of smoothing over the strife between PAS and DAP, and that will be no easy task.