People's Justice Party (Malaysia)

The People's Justice Party (Malay: Parti Keadilan Rakyat, PKR or KEADILAN) is a reformist political party in Malaysia. It was founded in 2003 through the merger of its predecessor, the National Justice Party (KeADILan), with the socialist Malaysian People's Party (PRM). The party's predecessor was founded in 1999 by Wan Azizah Wan Ismail during the height of the Reformasi movement triggered by the imprisonment of her husband, former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Following the 2022 election that resulted in a hung parliament, the party governs Malaysia through a unity government led by Anwar Ibrahim as the tenth Prime Minister of Malaysia.

In the first general election of its predecessor in 1999, the party won five seats in the Dewan Rakyat. However, a resurgence by the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) in 2004 reduced PKR to a single seat. The 2008 election produced a substantial swing to the opposition; PKR increased its representation to 31 seats and formed the government in five states. The 2008 results precipitated the resignation of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and the lifting of Anwar Ibrahim's five-year political ban on 14 April 2008.

The Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition, of which PKR is a founding and principal member, defeated Barisan Nasional at the 2018 general election, ending BN’s uninterrupted 60-year rule since independence. However, defections from the Azmin-aligned faction within the party and the withdrawal of BERSATU triggered the collapse of the PH government after just 22 months, leading to the 2020–2022 political crisis. The party returned to government after the 2022 general election, which resulted in Malaysia’s first hung parliament. A unity government arrangement between Pakatan Harapan, former rivals Barisan Nasional, and several Borneo-based parties enabled the formation of a federal government led by Anwar Ibrahim.

The multiracial party advocates for institutional reform and economic justice, while drawing its strongest support from urban and semi-urban constituencies, particularly in the states of Selangor, Penang, Perak, Negeri Sembilan, Johor, and the capital city of Kuala Lumpur. The party’s platform emphasises Reformasi-era priorities such as anti-corruption measures and social justice.