KUALA LUMPUR, Aug. 15 -- Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) heads into its national congress this weekend facing a problem that goes beyond recent electoral defeats: convincing Malaysians that it still has something to fight for.

The party is grappling with the departure of prominent reformist figures, internal dissent and poor results in Sabah, Johor and Negeri Sembilan, with another state election in Melaka looming.

For a party built around reform, equal treatment and institutional change, its time in government has brought another challenge: convincing voters those ideals remain relevant after nearly four years in power.

International Islamic University Malaysia political scientist Associate Professor Syaza Shukri said must determine its p...