From Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad
Understandably, with everything happening in our country and around the world, many may have let the day pass unnoticed – but we have just marked the seventh anniversary of the May 9, 2018 general election.
That was of course the first time Malaysia saw a change of government at the federal level, with power transferring peacefully from Barisan Nasional to Pakatan Harapan. 2018 was undoubtedly a banner year for PKR.
Despite all the setbacks and turmoil our party faced after the preceding 2013 general election, including the second jailing of Anwar Ibrahim and the break-up of the Pakatan Rakyat alliance, we still managed to achieve our best performance to date, winning 47 parliamentary seats and polling more than two million votes.
State-wise, PH retained Selangor and Penang, regained control of Perak and Kedah, and flipped Johor, Melaka and Negeri Sembilan. The last three states had never changed hands before – and sweeter still, PKR has provided the menteri besar for Negeri Sembilan ever since.
2018 was also the year I entered Parliament for the first time. Setiawangsa was also a seat that had never changed hands previously, but I was able to flip my BN predecessor’s 1,390 majority in 2013 to a 14,372-majority gain for PKR and PH.
PKR also made inroads into indigenous seats in Sarawak, alongside our existing presence in urban areas in Borneo.
It is true the picture was not entirely rosy. PH failed to win a single seat in Kelantan and Terengganu in 2018. But the outcome, as a whole, was seismic and we arguably continue to live to the present on the reverberations of that day.
Where we are today
Malaysia and its politics have of course changed a lot since 2018. We have faced the Sheraton Move, Covid-19 and the even more epochal 2022 general election which saw the formation of the Madani government as well as Anwar finally becoming prime minister.
PKR is also on the cusp of electing a new party leadership to serve alongside Anwar later this month. Looming beyond that are several state elections and GE16.
Arching over all these domestic political concerns are also wider, even existential challenges like the ever-increasing threat of climate change, conflicts across multiple regions, the Donald Trump “Liberation Day” tariffs with its geopolitical fallout, continued cost-of-living anxieties and ever-increasing social polarisation globally.
I truly believe that PKR can emerge victorious despite these challenges with the right leadership and understanding of the reasons behind our past successes and shortcomings.
The purpose of this piece is not to rehash past glories, but some retrospection is appropriate.
How did we succeed in 2018?
First, I would argue that our victories were not just because of the 1MDB scandal or who our prime ministerial candidate was at the time.
Those may have been big factors, but there was arguably a genuine hunger for change on the ground.
We must believe that the desire for reformasi among Malaysians is genuine and that it is a heartfelt rather than a transient trend.
Yes, reforms take time. Yes, they often must be sequenced. And yes, they take different shapes.
But at the end of the day, ordinary Malaysians must see and believe that positive change is happening. They want to see it and believe it.
It matters to them, especially voters who have backed PKR over the years. And so PKR – as the party of Reformasi – must be accountable for both its actions and omissions on this score— politically, administratively and economically.
Second, our success in 2018 was an all-of-country effort. PKR, in particular, was propelled to power that year through an essentially progressive Malaysian voter core— Malays who had become disenchanted with the-then ruling coalition, as well as our traditional non-Malay base and those from Sabah and Sarawak.
It was also because our party had a recognisable progressive Malay leadership that PKR stood out. Our party’s brand of progressivism may be too much for some, or never enough for others.
But it has proven to work for the real Malaysia. In 2018, it gave confidence not only to urban liberal voters but also moderate Malays.
This progressive, multiracial, but also broad-based approach is something that we must hold on to. The voter base that we captured in 2018 is the kind of coalition that we must hold on to and seek to grow.
We cannot take for granted that the non-Malay and progressive Malay constituencies that have become our core vote will remain loyal without addressing their concerns. Nor should we assume that they will vote for us simply due to a lack of options as the opposition keeps making mistakes. This is irresponsible.
Integrity matters
Integrity, too, helped us greatly in 2018. Malaysian voters must believe that PKR and PH are still fighting for integrity if we are to emerge victorious in electoral challenges ahead.
People are often advised “to actually be, rather than just seem to be”. But in politics, especially in this 21st century where perception seems to be everything, both matter.
Since 2018, PAS and Bersatu have grown in influence not merely by playing on racial sentiments, but by appealing to Malay voters who are concerned about PH’s ability to address Malay issues while remaining anxious about corruption and integrity.
If we are to make inroads into these constituencies, we must address these issues not only through economic policies that benefit these groups, but also by showing our seriousness in issues of integrity. We will not beat the race and religious-based parties by competing on identity politics.
PKR will have many major decisions to make ahead, but I believe our members will make the right ones. It will not be easy, but we must make them to move Malaysia forward.
If we do, the promises and dreams of 2018 and 2022 will live on and finally come to fruition.
Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad is defending his position as PKR vice-president in the party’s coming central leadership polls. He is also natural resources and environmental sustainability minister.
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.