Jui Meng’s deputy takes over Johor PKR

State PKR leaders have requested Ahmad Faidhi Saidi to become acting chairman because Chua may not return to work immediately after his two-week leave ends tomorrow.

PETALING JAYA: PKR deputy president Dr Ahmad Faidhi Saidi has been asked to assume the role of state PKR acting chairman after Chua Jui Meng’s continuous absence from public.

According to Johor PKR election director Steven Choong, the state leadership met on Thursday night in which division chiefs requested Ahmad Faidhi to fill the role of Chua until he returned to work.

“Although Ahmad Faidhi was constitutionally the state acting chairman in Chua’s absence, he was initially very reluctant to assume the post.

“But many state party leaders felt that we need someone to lead the party machinery, especially when election is just around the corner. So we decided that Ahmad Faidhi will be the acting chairman,” he told FMT when contacted today.

Chua has been out of the public eye and PKR ceramahs since DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang was made the Pakatan Rakyat candidate in Gelang Patah, Johor, a seat which Chua was keen to contest.

Choong said it was true that Chua appeared upset when he was informed about the decision by PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim hours before the announcement was made on March 18.

“During the meeting with state leaders when Anwar announced the decision, he was already unhappy. The state leaders then appealed to Anwar to resolve this as quickly as possible.

“As far as I am aware, Chua is still in communication with several key leaders. Obviously he would lay down certain conditions for giving out the Gelang Patah seat,” he said.

Since then, Chua was reported to have gone on a two-week leave, while PKR mulls to offer him the Segamat parliamentary seat in exchange for Gelang Patah.

FMT learnt that although Chua’s leave is about to expire tomorrow, there are doubts that he will return to work immediately.

Should his absence prolong, the state PKR would definitely suffer a setback by facing the fast-approaching general election without full force.