MELAKA: PKR’s Youth wing is bracing for tough questions at the party’s 2026 National Congress as it comes to terms with electoral setbacks in Johor and Negri Sembilan and mounting concerns over its appeal among young voters.
Angkatan Muda Keadilan (AMK) vice-president Muhammad Nabil Halimi said the congress must serve as a platform for an honest assessment of the defeats and help the party chart a credible path towards the next general election.
He said PKR needed to recalibrate its political strategy, rejuvenate its ideas and rebuild voters’ confidence, particularly among young Malaysians.
“This will be an important congress as representatives from various states are expected to present their views on PKR’s losses in Johor and Negri Sembilan.
“It is now crucial for us to realign our priorities and listen to new ideas. We must ask whether the party’s present struggle will remain relevant to voters in the next general election,” he said when met on Thursday (Aug 13).
Nabil said the setbacks should serve as a wake-up call for the party to examine its weaknesses and understand why voters had turned away.
He expects delegates to deliver hard-hitting and possibly disheartening assessments of PKR’s dismal performance in the two state elections.
"As members of the AMK leadership, we are prepared to accept any criticism and feedback from the delegates.
"If we are serious about winning back the people’s confidence, we must first be prepared to listen,” he said.
More than 2,500 delegates and 3,000 observers are expected to attend the national congress at the Melaka International Trade Centre (MITC) in Ayer Keroh.
PKR deputy president Nurul Izzah Anwar will open the joint congresses of AMK and Wanita PKR.
The programme will culminate on Saturday (Aug 15) with the official opening of the main congress and a policy address by PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Several foreign envoys, including representatives from the United States, China, Japan and Australia, have confirmed their attendance, alongside leaders of political parties.
Held under the theme “Memugar Reformasi, Membina Madani”, this year’s congress seeks to renew the reformist spirit at the heart of PKR’s founding while adapting its political agenda to the challenges of building Malaysia Madani.
