PKR polls: Loss of trust may be factor behind drop in votes

SHAH ALAM — Loss of trust in the leadership is likely one of the main factors why a large number of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) delegates chose not to vote in the party’s recent election.

Universiti Malaysia Sabah political analyst Associate Professor Dr Romzi Ationg said the new leadership team must take the signal from the grassroots seriously.

"Some parties consider that the election process can no longer be used as a measure of a candidate’s ability to be successfully elected.

"This is due to allegations of irregularities in the election process, although the extent of these allegations is unknown, but it is certain that this is among the reasons for the decline in voter turnout," he told Sinar.

He was commenting on political analyst Dr Ahmad Zaharuddin Sani Ahmad Sabri’s remark that PKR was now at a crucial turning point in its struggle, following party elections that revealed a clear lack of interest among its members.

He said losing more than 60 per cent of the votes in the election raised a major concern.

Commenting further, Romzi said the situation should serve as an early warning or wake-up call for the new leadership to find the best formula to restore the trust of the grassroots members.

Meanwhile, Universiti Utara Malaysia Ghazali Shafie Executive Enhancement Program director Associate Professor Dr Mashitah Mohd Udin said PKR was now facing a crisis of confidence in its party leadership.

"The majority of members in the party do not want to participate in the democratic process of candidate elections.

"This situation also indicates a silent protest because the previous reform promises remain just promises and another possibility is the party’s unclear direction and non-inclusive leadership," she said.

She said if this problem was not managed well, it could have a major impact on the party in the lead-up to the 16th General Election.

"PKR members’ refusal to vote is a warning sign that cannot be ignored," she added.