The PKR congress kicked off with the expected threats of explosive revelations and the usual battle cry against the “evil and wicked” Umno.

In the joint opening ceremony of the youth and women wings held in the Kelantan Trade Centre in Kota Baru, slightly more than 500 delegates thronged the main hall, filling three quarters of it.

Both the respective wing chiefs Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin and Zuraida Kamaruddin delivered relatively short welcoming speeches, promising a full opening address only tomorrow.

Shamsul also took the opportunity to fire salvos at the 10 PKR elected reps, who began leaving the party since early 2009, terming them “political prostitutes”.

“We will strip these prostitutes naked,” he said to thunderous applause in the house.

The issue of defections are expected to take centre stage at the congress but Shamsul also told the delegates to keep their eyes peeled and ears open for shocking expos é s.

“I will reveal things about a particular personality, a graduate of an overseas university,” he said.

He got tongues wagging when he said that this person has links with a particular “first lady”, without naming names.

When asked about this intriguing personality later at the press conference, Shamsul kept mum and nearly spoke in codes.

“There are also ‘robbers’ in this country with high education and have their names in the New York Times. We know of their contracts.

“Those who are clever are not necessarily honest. They can also steal,” he said.

Organisation: C+

But despite the overall positive mood among the delegates, where the proceedings was akin to a reunion of old friends, the organisation of the proceedings was less than stellar.

While the rest of the fellow Pakatan Rakyat coalition partners worked like well-oiled machines when it comes to holding big functions like these, it appears that PKR has still a lot to learn from them.

Despite the brief proceeding starting and ending on time, delegates were still streaming into the hall in large groups while the ceremony was already in full swing.

The secretariat, despite earlier assurances that the gatherings for the two wings are expecting to pull in a total of 1,000 people, still did not get enough chairs ready.

The late comers ended up standing at the back of the hall while party workers had to roll out chairs for them in the middle of the speeches.

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