PKR sacks Azmin and Zuraida

PETALING JAYA: PKR has sacked its deputy president Datuk Seri Azmin Ali and vice-president Zuraida Kamaruddin with immediate effect.

Its secretary-general Datuk Seri Saiffudin Nasution made the announcement after the party’s Central Committee meeting yesterday.

He said the meeting was chaired by party president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the decision to sack Azmin and Zuraida was unanimous.

“There was open betrayal by certain individuals who were the main actors who clearly contravened the party’s stand on the position of the prime minister,” Saifuddin said at the PKR headquarters.

Less than an hour after the duo were sacked, nine more PKR parliamentarians quit the party and the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition.

The nine elected representatives who left PKR to join Azmin (Gombak MP) and Zuraida (Ampang MP) are Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah (Indera Mahkota), Baru Bian (Selangau), Datuk Kamaruddin Jaffar (Bandar Tun Razak), Datuk Mansor Othman (Nibong Tebal), Datuk Rashid Hasnon (Batu Pahat), Datuk Seri Dr Santhara Kumar (Segamat), Ali Biju (Saratok), Willie Mongin (Puncak Borneo) and Jonathan Yasin (Ranau).

“We, PKR MPs declare that we are quitting the party and PH to form an independent bloc in Parliament,” they said in a joint statement yesterday.

The move leaves PKR with only 39 MPs, making them the second biggest representative in the Dewan Rakyat. DAP currently leads with the most number of seats in Parliament with 42, while Umno has 38.

After Azmin and Zuraida were sacked, Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia president Datuk Dominic Lau said the party was prepared to accept the duo and their supporters if they wish to join the party.

He was responding to reports that Azmin and his supporters were seeking membership in Gerakan.