MELAKA, Aug 16 — Becoming a government is not the end of the Reformasi struggle but rather a real test to prove the courage and wisdom to implement change, said Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) vice president Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa.
She said the reformasi struggle led by PKR for 27 years should not be seen simply as an effort to take over the country’s administration, but rather aimed at changing the way the country is governed.
“Since when has the cry for reform been just a slogan to get into Putrajaya? If our 27-year struggle is only aimed at changing who sits in the government seat, then our struggle is too small.
“Our main goal is to change the way this country is governed,” she said when delivering her winding up speech at the PKR 2026 National Congress at Melaka International Trade Centre (MITC), here today.
Zaliha said that after PKR became part of the government, the party now shouldered a great responsibility to translate the reform agenda through strengthening institutions and governance, combating corruption and abuse of power, as well as ensuring that justice could be felt by all levels of the people.
She said that apart from that, PKR members also need to be brave enough to reprimand and correct any weaknesses that arise among themselves.
“Implementing reform also requires wisdom. Reform does not mean that everything must be changed overnight. There are priorities that need to be determined...there are changes that can be made immediately, and there are changes that require time, negotiation and preparation so that they truly last,” she said.
Taking a lesson from the story of Khalifah Umar Abdul Aziz as touched upon by PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in his speech at the congress opening yesterday, Zaliha said changes need to be implemented in stages without sacrificing the goals of the struggle.
“Gradually does not mean delaying. Being cautious does not mean we have lost the courage to carry out reforms. What is important is that our direction must be clear. We must know what needs to be corrected and we must continue to move towards it,” she said.
Meanwhile, Zaliha, who is also the Member of Parliament for Sekijang, said PKR needs to streamline party communication so that the government’s achievements can be understood and felt by the people.
She said the government cannot assume that the people will know and understand an achievement just because a policy or programme has been implemented.
“I completely agree. We cannot complain that the people do not understand us if we ourselves fail to explain. “After this congress, I hope we can see a more structured, faster and closer to the language of the people party communication movement,” she said.
She also urged the party to master the narrative on social media and not let the space be dominated by the opposition.
According to Zaliha, victory in terms of numbers and policies does not necessarily guarantee acceptance by the people if the party fails to win their “feelings”, thus not taking lightly the importance of mastering the narrative field. — Bernama
