At 25, Malaysia’s PKR seems on the up but is Anwar Ibrahim’s star power holding it back?

Without a formidable and charismatic replacement, Anwar’s People’s Justice Party remains firmly wedded to its president’s political fortunes

‘The party is paralysed’, one PKR insider told This Week in Asia. Others insist its reform agenda is on track, and say succession talks aren’t needed

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Anwar Ibrahim visits the Pakatan Rakyat Keadilan (PKR) headquarters in Kuala Lumpur for a press conference in 2012. Photo: AFP

Published: 9:33am, 21 Apr 2024Updated: 10:05am, 21 Apr 2024

Malaysia’s People’s Justice Party (PKR) is in a triumphant mood as it leads the way in a coalition government after more than two decades on the fringes, with its president Anwar Ibrahim secure in the prime minister’s office.

But as PKR marks the 25th anniversary of its formation this year – and Anwar turns 77 – the question of who will succeed him as leader of the 1-million-strong party remains unanswered.

Analysts say the party is at a crucial juncture in charting the future direction of Reformasi, the reform movement started by Anwar months before PKR was founded.

In 1999, Anwar spoke about the need to reform a nation in which corruption had stalled its economic progress. Many Malaysians find it hard to envision PKR’s future without Anwar at the helm, with reform hopes still pinned to his name.

“I think PKR cannot fully detach itself from Anwar until the party finds a truly formidable and charismatic replacement,” said Syaza Farhana Mohamad Shukri, head of the political science department at the International Islamic University of Malaysia.

The party’s president endured a circuitous journey to the top – starting out as a student radical before later spending nearly a decade in prison – and has proved, to his supporters at least, that he has a steadfast hold on his beliefs.

But his ascension came with hard compromises, as PKR and its allies had to work with former foes to form a government following a divisive general election in 2022.