Mature Approach Needed To Face Political Reality, Strengthen PKR - Fuziah

MELAKA, Aug 15 (Bernama) -- Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) members and leaders need to take a mature approach to the current political reality and turn the disappointment of recent electoral setbacks into renewed determination to rebuild and strengthen the party, said its secretary-general Senator Datuk Dr Fuziah Salleh.

She said the 2026 PKR National Congress should not be used as a platform for members to point fingers, find fault or retaliate against any party over the current political scenario and challenges facing the party, but should instead provide an opportunity for members to reflect on the bitter experiences they had gone through without allowing them to determine the future of the struggle.

“Defeat is not the end of our struggle.  Our own party’s history has proved that every time we are tested, we have the choice to rise again, improve ourselves and rebuild our strength,” she said in her welcoming speech at the 2026 PKR National Congress at the Melaka International Trade Centre (MITC), Ayer Keroh, here today.

Fuziah said PKR had faced an even more difficult period after the 2004 General Election (GE), when it secured only one parliamentary seat, but did not give up, instead continuing to strengthen the organisation and its membership, reach out to the people and take the Reformasi message across the country.

“If we want to talk about the lowest point in PKR’s history, I want us to remember that this is not our lowest point. We have been through much more difficult times,” she said.

On this year’s congress theme, “Memugar Reformasi, Membina MADANI”, Fuziah said the word “memugar” carried an important meaning for PKR, reflecting the need to revive and renew the original spirit of Reformasi to remain relevant amid current changes and challenges.

She said the theme was not just a reminder of the Reformasi struggle that underpinned the establishment of PKR, but also a call for the party to continue strengthening and renewing the agenda.

“We do not want to create a new idealism. We want to revive and renew the idealism that was once at the heart of our struggle,” she said.

The 2026 PKR National Congress brought together 2,594 delegates and more than 2,000 observers from across the country, and was attended by 26 diplomatic representatives from 19 countries, including six ambassadors.

The congress serves as a platform for party members and leaders to reassess the journey of the Reformasi struggle and strengthen the party’s agenda in addressing current political changes and challenges.

--BERNAMA