It has been three years since Keadilan was set up. By now one would have thought that the party has matured into a closely-knitted organisation. On the contrary, Keadilan now seems more divided than ever, or at least that is the public perception.

However, party leaders appear to be constantly in a state of denial, preferring to portray the situation in Keadilan not serious enough to warrant such criticisms.

While some are able to recognise that the party is fragmented, others say this may not be necessarily bad politically.

Supreme council member Dr Lee Boon Chye said that it is the nature of the party to "tolerate dissent".

"We are diversified, not just racially but in our opinions as well. One should really look at that aspect of our strength," said Lee, who is the party's community relations head.

An opportunity

Like Lee, keen supporters of the party view the existence of these factions positively, dismissing allegations that the party is weakened by factional quarrels.

Instead, the factions are seen as an opportunity to attract members from a broad cross-section of society who comprise members with different ideological and socio-psychological backgrounds.

This may be an advantage if the factions are ideologically in synch with one another and if there are no leadership squabbles among them.

"That is why we did not want a political party in the beginning. We had wanted to set up a non-governmental organisation. Being a political party, there are many challenges," said supreme council member Ng Lum Yong.

Keadilan, which emerged from the 1988 reformasi movement, groups together ex-Umno leaders, Muslim NGOs Abim (Malaysian Islamic Youth Movement) and Jemaah Islah Malaysia as well as Chinese Malaysians and Indian Malaysians reformasi supporters.

As it turned out, Keadilan's recent annual general meeting in Sungai Petani, Kedah has revealed more than meets the eye that not everything is in order in Keadilan.

In his policy speech at the wing's AGM that weekend, Youth chief Mohd Ezam Mohd Nor said that reformasi can only be successful when the party is "properly organised".

His speech, entitled "Democracy is already dead", was read out on Saturday by deputy Youth chief Saifuddin Nasution Ismail before 300-odd participants.

Mohd Ezam is currently serving a two-year jail sentence under the Officials Secrets Act for exposing classified documents related to allegations of corruption of two government officials, including a minister.

Merger issue

His message could not come at a better time, for the very next day, 22 delegates walked out of the AGM because they disagreed with the manner in which the chairperson handled the merger issue with PRM.

The group, believed to be linked to Abim which opposed the merger, were upset with the chairperson for not giving them time to debate the constitutional changes related to the controversial issue.

"Every delegate has the right to speak. What is the point of being in Keadilan if we cannot speak.

"We always condemn [Prime Minister] Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Umno but we are just the same," said Nordin Ismail, Kuala Pilah's division head, who was part of the group led by former deputy Youth chief Mustapha Kamil Ayub.

Despite the drama, the party managed to obtain a two-third majority to amend its constitution and the action of the group was dismissed merely as a storm in a tea cup.

With the pro-Abim group purportedly marginalised last year by the ex-Umno group, when leaders of the faction was ousted at the Kemanan AGM, one would think that the factional fights in Keadilan could be minimised.

'Racial dilemma'

Who would think that on Monday, barely hours after the party's AGM, another crisis surfaced but this time it does not only reveal cracks in the Youth wing but hints of a "racial dilemma" set to shake the party.

The crisis, termed the "Indian dilemma" was prodded by Youth exco S Manikavasagam's threat to resign, and his call for all Indian Malaysian members to quit, over the party's alleged mistreatment of members from this ethnic minority.

They are said to be unhappy with the absence of a Indian Malaysian vice-president although there are two vacancies for the posts, which are currently filled by Hulu Kelang state assembly representative Azmin Ali, Internal Security Act detainee Tian Chua and former Penang mufti Sheik Azmi Ahmad.

This prompted supreme council member N Gobalakrishnan to call for a meeting to hear the grouses of all Indian Malaysian members next Sunday at the party's headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

"The Youth leaders must consolidate the party, they must concentrate on reformasi," said Gobalakrishnan, when contacted in Kota Bahru last week.

The Youth wing was attacked for its lack of direction and ineffectiveness in continuing the reformasi spirit by delegates at the AGM, and more disturbingly, by the party organ Berita Keadilan's Oct 22 edition.

Members of the embattled Youth wing fought back and this led to the sudden resignation of the party organ's editor Khalid Jaafar.

And to add to the problems confronting the Youth, Mohd Ezam is rumoured to have handed in his resignation.

Differences of opinion

"There is no problem. We only have differences of opinion. When we do not agree, we criticise openly," said Youth exco Badrol Hisham Shaharin, denying there are internal problems in the wing.

"Although diversity in opinions are encouraged, members should not attack the party from the outside. We, in the Youth, will do whatever we can to protect the party," he added.

These are the more obvious problems which have threatened to disintegrate the party. Others include intra-party bickering with individuals linked to a particular faction.

There are also other underlying concerns which becomes apparent when there are by-elections, for example.

Keadilan has sustained massive losses in all by-elections since the 1999 general elections with the exception of Lunas in Nov 2000. In that by-election, Saifuddin, who was the Keadilan candidate, scored a stunning victory over a Barisan Nasional candidate.

Its latest defeat in Gaya, where its candidate Christina Liew lost her deposit, was viewed by some as appalling. What is even more depressing is the inability of the party to garner Chinese support.

Other than the split between DAP and Barisan Alternatif which Keadilan is a key member, the inability to woo Chinese voters is believed to be linked to the Islamic state issue and Hudud law proposed by PAS, another member of opposition pact.

Keadilan has taken a 'wishy washy' approach to the Islamic issues by supporting the PAS government's right to enact the laws, at the same time supporting the1957 Federal Constitution, which espouses a secular state.

Pleasing nobody

But by trying to please everyone, Keadilan may end up pleasing nobody instead. What is feared by some is that this 'uncertain' stand may lead to more factionalism within Keadilan.

Although the physical support of Chinese Malaysian and Indian Malaysian leaders for Keadilan has always been visible during by-elections, problems may arise when they can no longer explain the complexities of the Islamic issues to their grassroots.

Keadilan Chinese leaders, however, denied that a crisis was looming in the party over this issue.

"We may not be satisfied with the party's stand on hudud but we understand our constraints. Chinese Malaysian members do not have a grouping in the party," said Ng.

"The coming general election is more important. If we cannot maintain our present performance, it would be a big question mark for Keadilan."