KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 16 — PKR president-elect, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will not only have the big responsibility of leading the largest component party in Pakatan Harapan (PH), the bigger task for him will be tackling the unhealthy culture of camps or factions within the party. 

It is said that eliminating this fractious culture needs to be done fast following the contentious PKR elections to avoid the risk of an internal divide which could have a bearing on the state of the PH ruling government. 

On the issue, political observer and analyst, Chandra Muzaffar said PKR, as the biggest component in PH, needed to “treat” this unhealthy culture before “it becomes a chronic sore” in the party.

"This seems to be a big problem in PKR and PH there may be a split in the party or PH if this culture of having political camps or factions continues.

“Now they (PKR) are holding power (as part of the ruling government) and based on this, PKR has to find a solution to this unhealthy culture in order to strengthen the party,” said Chandra, who is also the president of International Movement for a Just World, when contacted by Bernama.

Chandra, a former PKR deputy president who quit the party in December 2001, said this culture existed in PKR since the early days of its establishment, but seen as becoming more serious now.

"It’s not a new thing, it’s just that it now appears to me to be far more serious than before. Therefore, it’ll be a challenge for the party’s new leadership in facing the future, especially after the completion of the PKR elections (this year).

"I hope the party’s main leaders like (Datuk Seri) Anwar (Ibrahim), as its new president, will act independently and be neutral in solving this problem of camps or factions within the party," he added.

The stiff contest between Gombak Member of Parliament (MP), Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali and former Pandan MP for the post of PKR deputy president is seen as indirectly having created camps within the party.

Rafizi openly criticising the party’s election process, besides alleging Azmin as being close to Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Anwar’s staunch supporters being unhappy about this were among some of the “dramas” that drew public attention during the election process.

With the PKR National Congress to be convened this Friday, the unofficial results that appear on the Twitter page, ‘KEADILAN Elections 2018’ states that Mohamed Azmin, who is also the Economic Affairs Minister, is ahead with 70,550 votes against Rafizi’s 66,594 to retain his post as deputy party president.

Prof Zaid Ahmad from the Faculty of Human Ecology, Universiti Putra Malaysia, and political analyst, Prof Dr Sivamurugan Pandian of Universiti Sains Malaysia agreed that post-PKR elections, Anwar needs to initiate the reconciliation process among the party’s top leaders right down to the divisions.

Zaid said although Anwar was not seen as meddling in the party elections by not siding with any individuals as a mark of democracy, he should be seen as more stern after this.

“Anwar should be smart in handling the losing faction leaders and their supporters so that post-party elections, they still feel needed and appreciated. He (Anwar) must be able to do reconciliation so that the party members can work together again and leave behind the contest to strengthen the party towards GE15,” he said.

Meanwhile, Sivamurugan said the PKR leaders should not only close ranks but literacy on politics and the party’s objectives must also be created among party members so that they would understand that posts and positions are not important in a party’s struggles.

“Anwar should act fast to bring back unity in the party and those who lost (in the party elections) should graciously accept it (defeat), while the victors must not sideline the losers,” he added. — Bernama