MELAKA: PKR must define clear red lines and resist political compromises that could open the door to corruption and wrongdoing, says its deputy president Nurul Izzah Anwar.
Speaking at the launch of the PKR Youth and Women congress on Friday (Aug 14), Nurul Izzah said while compromise could sometimes be necessary for the greater good, it also carries the risk of allowing corruption to take root.
“Sometimes we are so accustomed to criticising that when it is our turn to govern, we are no longer sure how to govern well.
“Criticising is easy. Being in the opposition is indeed easy. We have been there, we have done that.
“(But) governing well, with integrity, is a far more difficult task,” she said.
Nurul Izzah said governance brings temptations to make improper concessions, often disguised as short-term pragmatic decisions or minor exceptions.
“The question we need to ask ourselves every time that temptation comes, every time that whisper of the devil comes, is not about tactical cunning, but a more fundamental question on who are we actually fighting for?” she said.
She cited her past decision to build a political bridge with former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as an example of a necessary compromise that helped dismantle a kleptocracy.
“The other is a compromise that opens the space for evil and corruption to take root.
“So we have to define our red lines, the lines that you would never cross. Then we live our lives defending good red lines,” she said.
Nurul Izzah added that public demands for cleaner politics have grown following recent corruption cases, legal violations and perceptions of double standards in justice.
