Now that the dust has settled on the 2004 general elections, it is time for Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) to pick up the pieces and reset the future direction of the party. The stakes are high. Some commentators are talking about the demise of the party after a dismal showing in the elections. The survival of the party beyond the next elections has come under heavy doubt.

PKR, however, must survive. What is at stake is far more than merely the survival of an opposition political party. PKR exists not merely to threaten the hegemony of Barisan Nasional. The party was founded on the principles of justice, freedom, democracy and reforms. If PKR folds, it will not be merely the loss of a political party, but it will be the loss of the only political actor in this country that has been the moral conscience of the nation.

Even though PKR is a young party, for the past five years, it has played a significant role in being a moral conscience to check BN's unbridled progress towards the path of economic development that impinges upon the people's social and political rights.

It cannot be denied that one of the reasons for BN's resounding success in the recent elections is because the new administration of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had rode on the popular sentiment of discontent against corruption, economic mismanagement, erosion of human rights elements which were first brought to the fore of public consciousness in 1998 at the height of reformasi movement.

PKR and its allies in Barisan Alternatif had fought for these issues on a political platform. Despite the obvious limitations we faced in our struggle, it cannot be denied that these issues were discussed at the highest political levels and in a way it educated the public to critically analyse and debate issues. Even though the BN managed to bulldoze its policies through in many aspects, the public's awareness of the potential downfall of the policies has forced the government to be more careful in presenting their case.

We shall not fool ourselves, however. The fact that PKR did badly in the last general elections shows that there are some structural failures on our side that needs to be rectified. PKR needs to be revived.

How to revive?

The question now is not how to revive PKR, but which aspect of the party needs to be revived?

No doubt, as a political party, PKR needs to regain its footing and rebuild its credibility as a viable political alternative. Having a sole representative in Parliament is an achievement of sorts given the obstacles faced in the elections, but we need to ensure an active participation of our MP in channeling party views.

More importantly, however, PKR needs to be revived as a forum for public discourse on the future direction of the nation. Its objective, for the next few years at least, must move deeper than just an ambition of taking over the government and win elections. PKR must also now focus more on understanding the hopes and desires of the people.

Not many realise it but PKR's most important role for the past few years has been political education. At the height of the reformasi movement, it was Keadilan (as PKR was known then prior to its merger with Parti Rakyat Malaysia) and its allies in BA and the NGO community that first highlighted themes like freedom, democracy, justice and human rights bringing these issues to the general public for the first time in our country.

These themes became topics of discussion at the coffee-shops, universities, restaurants, workplaces. They were no longer taboo words discussed only at high-brow forums or tucked away in an academic journal somewhere.

Keadilan captured the general public's imagination because for the first time they saw the abuses of the government machinery happening in front of their eyes. The sacking, arrest and trial of Anwar Ibrahim highlighted the fact that something was horribly wrong with the running of the media, the police, the judiciary, Umno and the government.

Unfortunately, Malaysians have short memories and the anger from that episode has subsided. The challenge for PKR now is to ensure that these issues remain important to the people. We need to demonstrate how abuse of power, mismanagement of public funds, widespread corruption, violations of human rights and other indiscretions can affect the well-being of the nation as a whole. We need to convince them that these are evils that need to be fought against. Subsequently, we need to prove that PKR is the best vehicle to fight it.

Political education

Political education is of utmost importance for this purpose. PKR needs to be engaged with the NGO community, the youth groups, trade unions and student organisations that are already performing this function. We do not have the funds nor the machinery for an all-out political education campaign, but this is a long-term goal for which we need to be patient and consistent.

PKR's involvement in public discourse at this level is important not only to provide a political avenue for these organisations to air their grievances, but also to tap the organisations for potential future leaders. PKR needs to be rejuvenated and fresh young leaders with new ideas and enthusiasm is of utmost importance for the party.

I will argue that reviving PKR is possibly the most important task for the future of this country. We have lived under the race-based political arrangements of the BN for far too long. This has led to racial polarisation and a deep mistrust amongst the races. Such a scenario will lead to future disintegration of the nation when a position of racial imbalance becomes untenable. BN has so far been irresponsible in this matter because racial polarisation has enabled it to retain power.

PKR must then take the responsibility to offer an alternative that is both equitable and responsible. The new politics and the agenda for change that we had promised must be clarified and debated further so that we can convince the people that we not only have the political will to bring about these changes but that these reforms are also demanded from an intellectual perspective.

PKR must be sure of its short-term and long-term objectives. While as a political party, we hope to win elections and take over the government, our deeper objective must also be brought to the fore. In a way, we need to get back to basics. When we talk about reforms and changes, we need to provide details on what we mean by these changes and we need to be firm in demanding these changes.

Much has been said about our collaboration with PAS in the last elections, which many say resulted in our loss. We are not looking to pointing the blame of our failure on anyone. Many factors contributed to our loss. PKR must take responsibility for our decisions. These, however, are issues of political strategy, which for now must take second place to the formulation of a vision for the nation (call it agenda or manifesto) that truly captures the aspiration of the people.

Realising this, PKR must find its strength from within to deflect any forces that we think may weaken the party's influence and credibility. We need to be mature enough to realise our weaknesses and be committed enough to build our internal strength. Having said this, PKR must strive to find the strength and solidarity to be able to voice out our opinions and criticisms openly, even if they may be controversial at times. At the end of the day, PKR's stand needs to be clear, unambiguous and consistent.

PKR realises that in terms of political strategy, the coalition model adopted by the BA is the most viable way forward. But the coalition must be a coalition in the true sense of the word. In other words, the interest of the political coalition must take precedence over the interest of the individual political parties.

It will not be an easy task. The task to revive PKR will need intellectual depth, political leadership, strength, maturity and a strategic mindset. In the rubble of the disappointment of the last election, we need to find the inspiration to continue the fight.

We must realise that this noble fight must go beyond merely winning elections and having seats in Parliament.

The writer is the Youth chief of PKR.