Kuala Lampur, May 11 -- History seldom offers the same opportunity twice. On May 23, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) will face not just a party election-but a test of political imagination. Will it repeat the tragic cycle of division that has undone so many Malaysian parties before it? Or will it seize the chance to consolidate its two brightest minds into a leadership constellation strong enough to anchor both Malaysia and Asean through the gathering storms of our era?

This is no ordinary intra-party contest. It unfolds against the backdrop of a fragmented world, a volatile region, and a disoriented political class. The rivalry is not between Nurul Izzah Anwar and Rafizi Ramli. The real challenge is between inertia and imagination; between ...