The Malaysian Insight

PKR’s youth wing must be led by those who can keep the reform agenda alive to ensure the party does not become complacent in its new position in the federal government, said Youth chief hopeful, Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir.

Akmal, who is currently the wing’s strategy director, said the party polls this September would be the best chance for members to choose a people’s champion who could also speak out for youths.

“We have to elect leaders who have the reform spirit. We don’t just fight for ourselves so we can form the government.

“We have been fighting this struggle for reform for 20 years. What we want to have is justice where it is due,” he told The Malaysian Insight in an interview.

Akmal said the PKR grassroots should vote without fear of offending anybody.

“Now that we are in the government, some may try to use their positions to influence votes. But we should elect party leaders who truly fight for reform,” he said without mentioning names.

Akmal’s remarks come amid media reports of two factions within PKR ahead of the party polls. The battle is focused on the contest for the deputy president’s post between the incumbent Mohamed Azmin Ali and vice-president Rafizi Ramli.

Rafizi on Sunday announced his team of more than 20 PKR elected representatives who are backing him for the deputy presidency. His team members are also in the running for key party posts and central leadership committee positions.

Akmal was also unveiled on Sunday as a member of Rafizi’s team, which is campaigning on the slogan “Reformasi 20 Tahun” (20 years of Reformasi) to hark back to the founding ideals of PKR that was formed after the sacking of its leader Anwar Ibrahim from government and his subsequent jailing.

Azmin has not announced his decision on which post to contest. If he goes for the presidency, he will face the party’s de facto leader and prime minister-in-waiting, Anwar Ibrahim.

Must counter Khairy’s popularity

Akmal earned the nickname “giant slayer” after he managed to defeat Johor Umno veteran Shahrir Samad in the May 9  general election. Shahrir was unseated from the Johor Bahru parliamentary seat which he has held for seven terms from 1978 to 1990, and from 2004 to 2018.

The former special officer to former Pandan MP and party vice-president Rafizi is tipped to contest for the PKR Youth chief post. However, he has yet to announce his plans.

If he goes for the post, he will likely meet potential contenders Afif Bahardin, the present deputy youth chief, and Kota Anggerik assemblyman Najwan Halimi.

Akmal, an economics graduate from the Wisconsin-Madison University in the US, said the PKR Youth wing must also work at challenging the popularity of former Umno youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin amongst the youth.

Khairy was also youth and sports minister in the previous Barisan Nasional administration.

Akmal admitted that Khairy was popular with the youth, but said that a leader’s popularity also has to be in sync with the grassroots in order to attract the support of youths for the party.

“Just because we are popular on social media sites does not mean we are effective leaders. We have to be able to influence others in our generation and address relevant issues.

“We look at Khairy who was popular when he led Umno Youth. We have to see whether he had been effective in his role with the youth in the country. Because Umno still fell from power.

“So our role now is to make sure policies, activities, and programmes are implemented and carried out effectively to benefit the people,” he said.

Akmal also said PKR Youth must continue to have courage to stand up for its principles as part of the ruling government.

He said the wing should continue with some of its former practices while it was an opposition party, such as holding demonstrations.

“Times have changed. We are not in the opposition anymore but that doesn’t mean we should leave our old practices.

“We should keep them so we don’t forget ourselves. We have to remember that we fight for the people.” – July 31, 2018.