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PARTI Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) veterans described the party's election results for the 2025-2028 term as a clear signal of the grassroots' rejection of the elite and cartel political culture in the party.
Pasir Gudang Member of Parliament, Hassan Abdul Karim, said that many 'big guns' who had won in the PKR 2022 election lost unexpectedly to new candidates who do not have big names or high positions in the government.
"These are not ministers, not deputy ministers, not members of Parliament.
"But they are close to ordinary members. They represent the voices of the grassroots who have felt marginalised," he said in a statement.
"Some even left the WhatsApp group of members who had previously struggled to raise their names," he added.
He described the defeat of the cartel's key figures in this election as democratic punishment from grassroots members who were tired of the elitist attitude and lost touch with the people.
"Those who were once seen as hope are now being punished for forgetting the grassroots. This shows that the sky is not always bright for those who act big after coming to power," he said.
He further explained that the results of the PKR branch elections which took place digitally across the country are a form of 'democratic revolution' that is sweeping away the political cartel and elite elements in the party.
"It is a cleansing process within PKR to restore the idealism of the party's struggle. The grassroots have chosen to save Keadilan from being further gripped by a destructive political culture from within," he stressed.
He added that this election proves that PKR still has the internal strength to carry out continuous reforms, starting with the leadership at the branch level who are closer to the people.
The 2025 PKR election saw more than 222 branches nationwide implement an online voting process that also involved various levels of leadership, including key party positions.
This election also saw several surprise defeats involving key PKR leaders who were previously seen as important figures in the party. Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad lost in the race for the Setiawangsa Branch Chief position to director and actor, Datuk Afdlin Shauki.
Deputy Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation, Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir Akmal Nasir also failed to defend his position as Johor Bahru Branch Chief. In Selangor, State Government Exco, Rodziah Ismail also lost in the Ampang Branch competition. - April 21, 2025