Malaysia – Subang MP Wong Chen stated PKR’s next generation of leaders would boost its diversity.
Wong said he’s seen the party develop since he joined in 2009, and it’s continuing to grow through appealing to multicultural Malaysia.
“There were racial aspects when I joined PKR. There were WhatsApp chat groups labeled PKR Chinese and PKR Indians; it never seemed fully multiracial.
“But by the 2013 election, I could see it all transformed, it’s very multiracial even just looking at the two factions inside the party competing,” Wong was reported as saying.
Wong said PKR’s multiracial aspect is real, not tokenism.
“It’s genuine, and it’s PKR’s biggest hope. PKR’s multiracialism is genuine and contagious; it’s even at my workplace. We stopped considering race and color, he said.
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Wong is hopeful that the party would prosper under future leaders like former Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli and Permatang Pauh MP Nurul Izzah Anwar.
“Rafizi and Izzah are Malaysian leaders, and that’s what PKR will stand for in the future.
“Every succession plan has a slump. PKR will become more relevant, stronger, and multicultural in the future, he added.
Multiculturalism and progressiveness are fundamental for prosperous, educated nations, he said.
If we can achieve that, there is a lot of hope in this nation, but we don’t want a situation like the Philippines, where [Filipinos] are willing to forgive the Marcos’ and bring the son back into power, or Najib coming back into power.
If such culture comes to Malaysia, it would be problematic, he warned.
Ferdinand “BongBong” Marcos Jr. became the Philippines’ 17th president last month.
The Marcos family has a history filled with persecution, cronyism, and kleptocracy and imposed martial rule in the 1980s.
Wong was responding to allegations that party president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim would lead PKR for at least one more election cycle.
Rafizi Ramli was just elected as PKR’s new deputy president. Wong stated the winner would head PKR after GE15.
If this is Anwar’s final election, he’s creating a succession plan.
“We’ve seen the DAP transition from [former secretary-general] Lim Guan Eng to Anthony Loke. I believe we’ll see more political parties doing that in the next five years.
“It’s likely a generational transition,” he added.
