Analysts believe the PKR election result does not mean the members have lost confidence in Anwar Ibrahim, but the members hope Rafizi Ramli can bring fundamental changes to the party.
James Chin from University of Tasmania's Asia Institute said the victory for Rafizi and those close to him showed that the members wanted a fundamental change in the party to increase the chances of winning in coming GE15.
Preliminary results of PKR election on Sunday (29th) showed Rafizi and his allies winning. However, those seen to be close to Anwar, such as Sungai Petani MP Johari Abdul and PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution, were defeated.
PKR needs to be open to new opinions
Another analyst, Jeniri Amir, agreed that the PKR members had confidence in Rafizi's ability as a leader, but lacked of confidence in Anwar.
“They want the party to be more than just about Anwar because party members think Anwar is almost past his prime. So when he leaves, they need someone who can replace him,” Jeneri said.
At the same time, he also urges Anwar and PKR's leaders to be more open-minded to accept the new leader's strategies and views.
“Anwar knows the outcome of this election. He knows that PKR needs to undertake meaningful and fundamental reforms to enable the party to move forward,” he said after the results of four state elections, including Sarawak, were announced.
