Azmin and Rafizi cordial at meeting

PETALING JAYA: All eyes were on the two PKR deputy president candidates – Datuk Seri Azmin Ali and his rival Rafizi Ramli – during a press conference at the party headquarters.

Azmin and Rafizi were cordial during the meeting as they conversed and even shared a few laughs together.

Rafizi waited for Azmin to arrive before joining the press conference held by president-elect Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Azmin then sat between Anwar and Rafizi.

Fielding questions after officially announcing his candidacy for the Port Dickson by-election, Anwar teased the reporters: “When they are not together, you had so many questions for me, even when I was in Singapore.

“Now that they are together, you all are not interested. You all only like rivalry, right?”

After the press conference, Azmin and Rafizi held hands with the other party leaders for a group photograph.

Yesterday was the first time that the men were publicly seen together since campaigning for the PKR election began.

During a dialogue with students at the Singapore Management University, Anwar said there were no problems between the two men and that their rivalry would not divide the party.

Without naming anyone, Azmin, who is also the Economic Affairs Minister, recently said his loyalty to PKR should not be questioned, adding that someone was still a “toddler” during the Reformasi movement in late 1990s.

He also said all party leaders should have been privy to the decision for Anwar to contest the Port Dickson parliamentary seat.

Both Rafizi and PKR secretary- general Datuk Saifuddin Nasution made the announcement on Anwar contesting in Port Dickson.