TAPAH - Former PKR secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail stressed the importance of embracing the outcomes of the party’s internal election, calling them a vital expression of PKR’s reformist identity.
He said this amidst a wave of notable leadership changes following the recently concluded PKR divisional elections.
"This party is built on reform. A reformist party must hold elections. Every three years, we conduct them and there will always be those who win and those who lose," Saifuddin said during the Angkatan Muda Keadilan (AMK) meet-up programme, yesterday.
Saifuddin urged party members to view election outcomes as opportunities for growth rather than setbacks.
"If you are elected, you carry out your responsibilities. If not, you prepare and try again. What’s so difficult about that?," he said.
He also cautioned against disengagement among those who failed to secure positions, noting that losing should not equate to withdrawing from party efforts.
"The real problem arises when someone joins the race, doesn’t win and then decides to distance themselves from the party. That is not the reformist spirit we stand for," Saifuddin added.
The recently concluded PKR divisional elections on April 20 saw major upsets, with several prominent leaders losing their positions.
Among them was Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister and PKR vice-president Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, who failed to retain his Setiawangsa division chief post. He was defeated by actor and director Datuk Afdlin Shauki, who garnered 631 votes to Nik Nazmi’s 563.
Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Adam Adli Abd Halim also faced defeat, losing his bid for the deputy chief post of the Hang Tuah Jaya division.
Adam received 791 votes, significantly trailing his opponent, Zamzizul Nordin, who secured 1,905 votes.
Similarly, Deputy Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir, a key figure as PKR strategy director, lost the Johor Bahru division chief race. Akmal polled 587 votes, while his opponent, Johor PKR Youth chief Mohamad Taufiq Ismail, obtained 709.