Leadership dissent

‘My intention is to protect interests of all members as I take party forward’

PKR’s central leadership council line-up has now become a contentious issue. Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim wants ‘everybody in’. However, his deputy Datuk Seri Azmin Ali wants ‘some people out’. But even with the new appointments, Team Azmin still holds sway in the party.

PORT DICKSON: PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has denied talk of a rift with his deputy Datuk Seri Azmin Ali, who questioned his choice of appointees into the party’s central leadership council.

Anwar said his intention was purely to protect the interests of all PKR members and not of a single faction.

“You can’t have all your supporters in the council ... you must have supporters of Keadilan,” he said when met after attending an event at SJK(T) Springhill here yesterday.

He said he would not review his decision as asked by Azmin.

“There is no necessity for me to do so as the names were approved by the council.

“I have taken from both groups. If you study it, I appointed Ali Biju (as vice-president) who is Azmin’s supporter as well as the information chief (Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Md Akin) who is also his supporter,” he said.

Anwar was responding to the statement by Azmin following the appointments announced on Friday evening.

Yesterday, Azmin asked Anwar to review them.

He claimed the appointments did not reflect the members’ principle of “fair and just representation” and would not help the party to move forward.

Without mentioning names, Azmin claimed some of the appointees were directly involved in the non-transparent election process and caused divisions in the party in recent polls.

At a separate function earlier, Anwar said he was only being inclusive when he made the appointments, which included former Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli as vice-president.

He added that his intention when making the appointments was to have “everybody in” as he takes the party forward.

“I want to be inclusive ... he (Azmin) wants some people out.

“I want everybody in ... that’s the difference,” he told reporters after launching the Anwar Ibrahim Cup football tournament.

He said he was aware that his deputy was against the appointments of certain individuals.

He said although Azmin was entitled to his personal views, party matters should be discussed within the organisation.

“My advice to him is to set a good example and to use the proper channels when raising party matters instead of going to the media,” he said.

“I know he is very personal against one or two candidates.

“But I have taken everybody in, including people in his faction.

“The important thing is that you cannot deny the need to bring everybody in,” he added.

Rafizi lost narrowly in his bid to unseat Azmin as deputy president in the party polls.

Anwar in a statement on Friday said the new central leadership council (MPP) line-up was a mix of leaders from across the country representing groups of various races, religions and ages, which was the core strength of PKR.

Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail remained as secretary-general, Semambu assemblyman Lee Chean Chung was appointed treasurer-general, while Setiawangsa MP Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad was made supervising secretary.

Wanita chief Haniza Mohamed Talha has backed Azmin’s claims.

“What the deputy president said is true.

“The ‘fair and just representation’ he seeks also include a minimum representation of 30% women among the appointees,” she said in a statement.

Of the 14 co-opted into the party leadership yesterday, none were female.

Only eight women feature on the party’s central leadership council – comprising 42 office- bearers, Wanita chief, Youth chief and 14 state chiefs.

In view of this, Haniza urged Anwar not to show bias and accept criticisms from PKR members positively in the spirit of democracy.