Reflecting on his political career in PKR, Nik Nazmi said while he was disappointed to have not won a post, he was neither bitter nor angry.

“This is not an end, but rather a bend in the road in a long journey. God is the best of planners,” he said in a Facebook post today.

Nik Nazmi had over the weekend sought to defend his PKR vice-presidency in an 11-cornered contest.

He was the only incumbent who failed to retain his post. Selangor menteri besar Amirudin Shari, Negeri Sembilan menteri besar Aminuddin Harun and federal minister Chang Lih Kang were re-elected as vice-presidents.

Nik Nazmi, who had, by his own admission, spent more than half of his life with PKR, said he had been fortunate to have been given the privilege to serve at a very young age.

“I have always been driven by the idea that Malaysia can only realise its promise through progressive politics.

“Achieving it was the new politics for our generation, one that was not rooted in narrow racial or religious views,” he said.

Nik Nazmi recalled his many highlights with PKR, including helping the party out when he was 19 and forgoing a corporate career to work full-time for party president Anwar Ibrahim.

He also reminisced the time he stunned doubters by becoming the youngest candidate in the 2008 general election, and defeating Barisan Nasional’s candidate by a 2,863-vote margin in a straight fight for the Seri Setia state seat.

In 2018, he contested in the Setiawangsa parliamentary seat, which was considered a BN stronghold, and won.

“We campaigned by telling voters that winning the seat meant Pakatan Harapan would win Putrajaya,” he said.