PKR chief Wan Azizah denies having two ‘camps’ in the party
KAJANG: PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail yesterday brushed aside allegations that there are two camps or groups in the party, one supporting her and the other supporting her husband Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Dr Wan Azizah, who is also Deputy Prime Minister, said that her husband, who is PKR de facto leader and members of the party were moving together under one camp.
“The are no camps ... we are one camp,” she told reporters at Kajang state constituency Aildilfitri open house here yesterday.
Recently, party secretarygeneral Datuk Saifuddin Nasution, had claimed that there were two camps in the party with one faction calling for Dr Wan Azizah to stay on as president while the other wanted her to step down and make way for Anwar, as preparation to replace Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Yesterday, political analyst Dr Ainul Adzellie Hasnul was reported as saying that he believed that the two camps really existed in the party.
Asked whether she would defend her position in the party elections in August, Dr Wan Azizah said the matter was still in the discussion stage.
“At the moment I am the incumbent, it’s going to be a tough election.
“There is no decision yet whether I should contest or not, so I think ( for now) I will still contest, “she said. However, she said the party was open for anyone to be nominated for any position based on the democratic principles.
On the Sungai Kandis state byelection following the death of the assemblyman Mat Shuhaimi Shafiei on Monday, Dr Wan Azizah said PKR already had a list of candidates and the announcement was expected to be made during the next meeting.
In the 14th General Election, Mat Shuhaimi, representing PKR, defended the seat with a majority of 12,480 votes in a fourcornered contest against BN, PAS and PRM.