PKR congress renews support for Anwar’s leadership

By Adib Zalkapli

As expected, the PKR annual congress renewed its support for Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to continue leading the party, declaring today that the opposition leader should not be forced to go through a party election.

Anwar had refused to contest the presidency which has been held by his wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail since the party’s formation 11 years ago.

Faris said Anwar did not appoint himself de facto leader.

“There are those who question Anwar’s legitimacy to make decisions, who make us doubt his leadership. Some had questioned his competency to be the de facto leader,” said Faris Musa when tabling the motion to debate the president’s address.

“He did not appoint himself to be the de facto leader. We put him there,” he told the congress.

Faris later asked the 1,200 delegates to stand up as a show of support to Anwar as the de facto leader.

“Let us give our undivided support to Anwar Ibrahim,” said Faris to loud cheers from the crowd.

Another delegate, Siti Aishah Shaik Ismail, said the move to force Anwar to contest the party presidency would restrict his role.

“Many have questioned why Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim refused to contest the presidency. I say this is naïve because we should not restrict Anwar’s role just to serve our party,” said Siti Aishah when debating the president’s policy speech.

“He is an internationally-recognised leader,” she added.

Siti Aishah also likened the position of de facto leader to PAS’s spiritual adviser or mursyidul am, currently held by Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat who chairs the Islamist party’s ulama consultative council.

Siti Aishah said Anwar is an internationally-recognised leader.

“The post of de facto leader must not be contested, or be put elsewhere. If PAS has a mursyidul am, we have the de facto leader to guide the party,” said Siti Aishah.

Anwar’s appointment as de facto leader was made at the party congress in 2007, after he was prevented from contesting the presidency by the Registrar of Societies.

He was barred from holding elected party posts because of his abuse of power conviction in 1999. The ban expired in April 2008.

The de facto leader post, which is not defined in the party’s constitution, came under attack from PKR deputy presidential contender Datuk Zaid Ibrahim who had challenged Anwar to take over the presidency. Zaid later quit the contest and the party.

Yesterday, the Wanita PKR proposed that Anwar’s position be formalised constitutionally in a reaction to Zaid’s challenge, but party president Dr Wan Azizah defended the current leadership’s arrangement.