The former Batu MP was responding to political scientist Andrew Aeria, who told FMT that PKR’s immediate challenge would be to unite its various factions.
The former Universiti Malaysia Sarawak academic also said the party’s talk of reforms “now rings hollow” given that its electoral process had been “deeply compromised by serious irregularities”.
He said PKR had not done enough to educate its members or build up party institutions, but focused only on displacing Barisan Nasional (BN).
The same report quoted James Chin from the University of Tasmania as saying that the results, which saw deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali’s allies winning the most positions, would have implications for the camp of his rival Rafizi Ramli.
Chin had also spoken of rumours that Rafizi’s group would leave PKR.
However, Tian Chua said it was not right for Aeria and Chin to say PKR was still divided into camps, or that rivalry continued to exist as the party elections were over and done with.
“There is no more ‘Rafizi camp’. The camp would have disappeared as it only emerged because of the elections,” he told FMT.
Tian Chua, who successfully defended his vice-president’s post, added that it was now time for PKR to get down to work.
“Whether people say our agenda is hollow or not, the time has come for us to substantiate and materialise our pledges.
“The issue of whether people are unhappy because some do not have posts is irrelevant,” he said, adding that the main concern now was PKR’s performance as part of the government.
When asked about the possibility that individuals within the party were still discontent with the election results and continued to identify with “Team Rafizi” or “Team Azmin”, Tian Chua said he remained hopeful that PKR would overcome “this small matter”.
“No one is going to question the legitimacy of the leaders, from PKR president Anwar Ibrahim, to Azmin, to all of the vice-presidents.”
The PKR elections, which took place from Sept 14 to Nov 10, saw Rafizi, the former party vice-president, up against Azmin for the deputy president’s post.
Candidates seen as aligned with Azmin, including Tian Chua, dominated the election results over the weekend, winning many of the top leadership positions except for six spots on the PKR central leadership council and the post of youth chief.
The polls had been marred by allegations of vote-rigging and money politics, as well as surges in membership and phantom voters. There were also problems with the e-voting system, which was used for the first time.
Tian Chua said PKR must go down to the grassroots and address their woes, adding that the party could not risk taking them for granted.
He also said there was nothing wrong with continuing to tell members that PKR had to do better than BN.
“If BN comes into power after this, they will also say that they must do better than Pakatan Harapan. That is what the principle of democracy is all about.”