Fuziah Salleh- PKR's Voice of Conscience.

  Fuziah Salleh- The Lynas Crusader, incumbent PKR VP.

Once again I find myself writing on the PKR elections. Some 30 cabangs will have to vote again for the office bearers. That means the race isn’t over yet.

I have been told of complaints that I don’t have any right to write on PKR politics. Once more I have to tell my PKR colleagues that I am a political observer. It’s my business to write on politics. I do because I can. I write on all issues about politics including matters concerning political parties. PKR is a member of Pakatan Rakyat- it’s also my interest to see to the well-being of the party because its health affects the whole of Pakatan Rakyat. but in the end, my opinions are just that- personal opinions that are debatable. They do not of course reflect the views of my own political party-DAP.

I want to write something on my fellow Kuantanite. She is an incumbent vice president of PKR- Fuziah salleh. Although she comes from Kuantan, I have not met her before. In fact it was only in 2013 that we come to know each other.

Of course i know of her when she defeated Fu Ah Kiow, the MCA MP of Kuantan. Many things were written about Fuziah. Her reputation grew as people speak about her. When Fuziah beat Fu, she quickly became known as the giant killer.

I also knew of Fuziah when I was serving as an UMNO ADUN. I often asked my UMNO friends then, how could they beat Fuziah with her band of dedicated service workers who go around kampungs and villages seeking out the poor to give them rice and other food items? While Fuziah and her team of volunteer workers did that, UMNO people were busy fighting among themselves. You see, it’s easy to beat UMNO- they are not into giving consistent service to the people. They are busy knocking off each other to gain leadership positions.

Perhaps Fuziah Salleh is most famous for her crusade against Lynas- the rare earth plant in Gebeng Kuantan. As early as 2008, Fuziah started the awareness program about the damaging effects of the rare earth plant. The initial forum like grouping evolved into the large movement it is today- a coalition of concerned groups against lynas

Unfortunately in most political parties what you do as an MP, the work you do on the ground, the issues you championed outside are largely unappreciated within the party. A politician must do two things- serve as an elected representative and play smart politics. The latter is important because if one does not have a position, one has no application. She or he cannot apply the talent she has without position. Most of the times, just as in UMNO, visibility and relevance within the party is more important.

I am surprised that Fuziah as an incumbent is trailing far behind in the race of PKR vice president. I see her at number nine in the VP race. It’s even more surprising to learn that she is  part of the masa depan team formed by the leading luminaries of PKR such as Tian Chua, Nurulizzah, Rafizi and Saifudin nasution. Saifudin is last in the race for deputy president implying that he is there to serve as a spoiler. It’s as though he is placed there to ensure either Azmin or Khalid Ibrahim cannot win easily. On whose behalf is Saifudin working for, I do not know. The PKR people should by now know.

Why is Fuziah trailing behind? She should be among the leaders in the race seeing that the team masa depan is almost always voted in? The fact that she is trailing suggest that most of the times, Fuziah’s name has been dropped off from the list or ‘cai’ as it’s called in PKR lingo. I just found out, the word cai is taken from the piece of paper, touts sell to 4D players on the eve of official results. As you drive along, you see people holding out pieces of paper to passers-by. So, Fuziah is dropped off from the cai of the team masa depan. Likewise delegates are given cais containing the names of people the author the cais want voted in.

I asked PKR friends what kind of leader does Fuziah thinks PKR need? The answer given by her should reveal where here priorities are- either to advance party interests or personal standing.

I heard her say- PKR needs a leader who is a nice fellow like Mustafa Kamal Ayub, has a world view like Zaid Ibrahim and charisma like Anwar Ibrahim. These are the 3 qualities that are needed in PKR leadership. And she is working towards forming this kind of leadership for PKR.

I am not saying that this description is correct- but I am willing to say that Fuziah has the interest of the party close to her heart. PKR needs that kind of leadership not only for itself but for Pakatan Rakyat.

I sense that Fuziah is important to PKR because she can be the voice of conscience for her party. The fact that she is often dropped from the ‘cai’ of the team masa depan, can only mean that her ideas on party politics, on leadership and the goings on in the party are at odds with the team. She is willing to protect the conscience of the party. This can only mean, Fuziah’s vision of the party is not confined to team forming for the purpose of winning party elections. Instead it can only suggest that a team Fuziah supports must have the strategic and long term interest of the party as the overriding interest.  

Now, 30 or so cabangs or divisions have to take a re-vote the PKR office bearers. I am hoping that delegates will look at Fuziah Salleh and realised they will need a voice of conscience to temper and moderate the PKR leadership. The delegates will also have the opportunity to correct the wrong on Fuzziah being dropped from the ‘cai’ she was originally part of.