The prime minister’s daughter, Nurul Izzah, who has thrown her hat in the race for the post of PKR deputy president, issued a stark warning about the party’s infighting.

She said that the clashes could lead to the party’s downfall within five to 10 years; but isn’t she underestimating the damage that has already been done?

Nurul’s warning about PKR’s downfall is way off the mark.

As it is, many Malaysians think that the party is doomed if it were to follow the current trajectory. They predict that PKR’s collapse is only a heartbeat away…not in five or 10 years but that PKR will fall by GE16. That is a mere two to three years’ time!

The distasteful bootlicking, the public display of enmity, the leak of confidential letters and the alignment of various PKR members behind their chosen favorite in the PKR deputy president contest, has angered Malaysians.

Is Nurul prepared to acknowledge that she is one of the main reasons for the public backlash against PKR?

Many are struggling to identify her passionate causes and the ones which she can claim to carry her mark.

Whilst it is true that she was instrumental in garnering support to free her father when he was imprisoned by former PM Dr Mahathir Mohamad in trumped up political charges, few can actually identify what she stands for.

Many Malaysians allege that she is a career politician.

So, apart from helping to secure Anwar’s release for which most of the nation stood solidly behind her, what does she stand for?

The opposition parties of Bersatu and PAS, and the Unity Government’s component party, Umno-Baru, whose senior members probably harbor a personal ambition to resume their dominant rule in Putrajaya, are looking at the troubles in PKR with glee.

They need not do anything to break up PKR, the PM’s party. All they have to do is sit back whilst PKR members finish each other off, like a pack of hyenas tearing carrion apart.

Nurul’s warning has come too little, too late. The rakyat are aware that the party is renowned for its infighting, its personality clashes, and the dirty tactics it used to discredit members who show any leadership promise.

The lack of reforms, the lack of transparency, the nepotism and cronyism, and the failed efforts to stop rewarding politicians’ loyalty with top posts in GLCs are some of the reasons why Malaysians have lost trust in PKR.

Nurul is being disingenuous when she urged members to unite, close ranks, set aside their differences and prioritize the party’s survival in the next general election.

She claimed that she would regret the loss of all the hard work achieved thus far because of the infighting, and urged party members to close ranks.

She said, “This is not about me, but about us. This is not about what I can do, but what we can do together.”

Fine words, but they mean little.

To be fair, she is right, it is not just about her. However, there is one clarification to be made about the word “us”.

She is probably referring to herself and the party members, but some Malaysians will opine that the “us” should actually refer to her father and her.

This current self-made mess created by PKR is to do with the fallout from the father-and-daughter combo.

Nurul was trounced in GE15 when she lost the safe seat of Permatang Pauh many consider the family stronghold, previously held for decades.

She then laid low for several months, but a few weeks ago, suddenly emerged only to tell Malaysians that despite what they think, Reformasi was still alive.

Aware that the rakyat were angry about the lack of reforms ever since they helped bring Harapan to power, Nurul told Malaysians to exercise patience. This further incensed the rakyat.

The timing for her sudden appearance was suspicious, but it made perfect sense when soon after that particular “Reformasi-is-still-alive” remark was made, she announced her candidacy for the post of deputy president.

Alarm bells also rang loudly when suddenly several party officials endorsed her candidacy.

The queue of her supporters had presumably been through the planning stage and the announcements to support her candidacy were the execution of the plan to maximize her chances in the deputy presidency contest.

With her father as PM, few will dare to oppose her and her father’s wishes. After all, are we not a feudal society where dissent is not tolerated? Anyone working in a private firm where the boss’ daughter has a sense of entitlement knows that it can be a frustrating working environment.

Both Anwar and Nurul may dismiss the allegations of nepotism, but Malaysians will always cast their mind back to six weeks after he became PM when Nurul was appointed, by stealth, as Anwar’s senior economic adviser.

She may have been forced to step down from her role after the public backlash but subsequently she kept appearing at the same locations of her father’s overseas visits.

These triggered calls of who funded her trip as she was not on the government payroll.

Anwar and his daughter must realize that our fears are not unfounded.

The lack of reforms, the lack of transparency, the nepotism and cronyism, and the failed efforts to stop rewarding politicians’ loyalty with top posts in GLCs are some of the reasons why Malaysians have lost trust in PKR.

Once the sense of betrayal is felt, it is going to be an uphill battle to regain our confidence in the party.

(Mariam Mokhtar is a Freelance Writer.)