KAJANG, 19 Mar: Umno leaders, especially Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, are forced to swallow the challenge thrown at Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail to set up a political party to pursue her agenda.
The challenge, which was made in 1998 after Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was arrested by the police, was thrown by Barisan Nasional (BN) as they believed that Dr Wan Azizah’s torch in the reformation movement was easy to put out if she joined the fight in the political arena, like what previously happened to the Umno splinter party, Parti Semangat 46.
However, Umno did not only fail to break her spirit, but the fight for reformation, combined with PAS and DAP, continues to receive full support from the people, so much so that the party, which was originally mocked with the term ‘mosquito party’ (parti nyamuk), managed to deny BN a two-thirds majority in the two latest General Elections, 1 years after the challenge was thrown.
Wan Azizah, who is also the President of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), said that in the beginning, she set up an NGO called Adil (fair) before being repeatedly challenged to fight in the political arena.
“At first the Adil NGO did not receive a permit and indeed, we were challenged to establish a political party. When we were called the ‘mosquito party’, it was tough, but Alhamdullilah, the response from the people was something to be proud of.
“We will provide a democratic system, a two-party system with a fight, where checks and balances exist. This is better and more effective for the sake of the people,” she told Selangor Kini after holding a meeting with the residents of Kampung Sungai Kantan yesterday.
During the 1999 General Election, Parti Keadilan Nasional (now PKR), together with PAS, DAP and PSRM, joined in the Alternative Front (Barisan Alternatif), managed to defend Kelantan and capture Terengganu, and to narrow the opposition-BN gap in the Dewan Rakyat.
In the 2008 General Election, the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) coalition, consisting of PKR, PAS and DAP, also managed to capture Selangor, Perak, Kedah, Penang and retain Kelantan, as well as deny BN a two-thirds majority in the Dewan Rakyat.
In the 2013 General Election, the coalition gained credence among the people when they not only denied BN a two-thirds majority, but also managed to acquire 51 percent of the popular vote compared to BN’s 47 percent.
