Rafizi: PKR leaders must stop misleading media
KUALA LUMPUR: Infighting in PKR has taken another turn with its vice-president, Rafizi Ramli, saying that some party members have been giving false information to the media whenever there are disagreements among party leaders.
He dismissed reports that he had been reprimanded for allegedly publicising the infighting and criticised his colleagues for giving the wrong impression to the media by passing of their views as the general sentiment in the party.
He said he was not surprised as such incidents were commonplace whenever there were disagreements in the party’s leadership.
“There are several PKR leaders who like to give the wrong impression to the media by hiding under the pretext of being a ‘source in the party’ to ensure that their view is taken as the majority view, although it contradicts the discussion and decision reached by the political bureau or the leadership council,” he said.
Rafizi added that as long as these two or three political bureau members continued to be undisciplined and feed disinformation to the media and party members, the situation would not improve.
“For this reason, after the Sarawak election and the Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar by-elections, I decided it is more beneficial to spend my time and energy engrossed in PKR and Pakatan Harapan’s campaign trails for marginal seats, rather than to rectify the misinformation spread by these political bureau members.”
Rafizi said the party should focus on preparing for the 14th General Election (GE14), and not on political news that would not help the party defeat Umno and BN.
PKR secretary-general Datuk Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said no disciplinary action had been taken against Rafizi.
He refuted news reports that Rafizi had received a “stern warning” and been threatened with expulsion. He said no disciplinary case involving Rafizi was brought before the party’s political bureau last week.
On Friday, Chinese language newspaper Sin Chew Daily reported that Rafizi had been issued a warning and could be expelled if he continued to talk publicly about infighting in the party.
Quoting a party source, the paper said Rafizi was issued a verbal warning following his statement on purported disputes over the formation of a political pact with Pas for GE14.
The move, a party source reportedly said, was based on advice from jailed PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to the party’s political bureau.
The article alleged that Rafizi had named PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Azmin Ali, vice-presidents Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin, Tian Chua, Dr Xavier Jayakumar and Dr Shaharuddin Badaruddin as the leaders who had held talks with the Islamic party.
Rafizi said, other than himself, PKR members opposed to courting Pas included Saifuddin, PKR Youth chief Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, PKR information chief Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh and PKR disciplinary board chairman Brigadier-General (Rtd) Datuk Abdul Hadi Abdul Khattab.