Azmin denies quitting PKR, slams Umno

The PKR deputy resident lays to rest rumours that he is quitting party posts, and stresses he will stand by the leaders’ decision on who should be Selangor menteri besar.

UPDATED

PETALING JAYA: PKR deputy president Azmin Ali has denied that he will quit from the party and blamed Umno for spreading such rumours.

Speaking at a press conference at the party headquarters here this morning, he vowed to continue fighting with PKR under the leadership of Anwar Ibrahim.

“I will not forsake this struggle,” he stressed. “To this people…[who spread such rumours]… carry on dreaming.”

“I have no intention whatsoever of resigning from my duly elected position as deputy president of PKR.

“I will certainly not betray the trust that has been given to me by the people who have just elected me as Gombak member of parliament and state assemblyman,” he told the packed press conference.

It had been widely speculated that Azmin would quit the party with his supporters, with some claiming that it is related to the Selangor menteri besar post.

However, Azmin said he was not “obsessed” with the MB post, stressing that he had already been offered the post during the 2008 Permatang Pauh by-election by Anwar but refused it.

“Anwar summoned me and asked me whether I was ready to replace Khalid Ibrahim…because the party was very dissatisfied with the Selangor MB at that time. Complaints had come in from civil servants and the business community [over Khalid's administration]…

“But I firmly refused the offer because it would destroy the party’s stability. So if I were truly obsessed with the position, I would have taken up that offer and become the MB there and then,” Azmin pointed out.

But he added that having political ambitions was not a “crime”, and was in fact every person’s motivation when entering politics.

“But our ambitions must be based on a desire to serve the people,” he said.

Azmin sticks to party consensus on MB post
Azmin also refused to voice his support or otherwise for Khalid as Selangor menteri besar, stressing that he would stick by the party’s decision.

“This is not about my personal opinion on Khalid, but about the party consensus consultation on who shall be menteri besar… we shall abide by the party’s consensus.

“I expect party leaders to call for a meeting and to give their opinions before any recommendations are made to the Sultan,” said Azmin.

When reported pointed out that DAP and PAS had already endorsed Khalid for the post, Azmin said: “That is the views of PAS and DAP, but in Selangor we have PAS, DAP and PKR as well.”

Asked on his tweets two days ago indirectly slamming Pakatan Rakyat’s rally, he said: “I was not attacking, I was not criticizing without any points. I said, accept the people’s decision, let us reflect upon ourselves and move forward. Is this wrong? The criticism is clear.”

“The mandate was given to us, and in our manifesto, we don’t just talk about electoral reform, but about education, safety, cost of goods. We have been given the mandate in Selangor, Penang and Kelantan, so let us fulfill our mandate,” he added.

He also explained that any references to “nepotism” was related to a letter of nomination for the MB post purportedly sent to the palace without any consultation.

“Who decided on that matter? Who nominated who? This issue must be ironed out as soon as possible,” said Azmin.

It is learnt the letter was signed by PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, whose backing for Khalid for the MB post is well known.

Among the PKR leaders present at the press conference today included PKR women’s wing chief and Ampang MP Zuraida Kamaruddin, Teluk Kemang MP Kamarul Baharin Abbas, PJ Selatan MP Hee Loy Sian, Kapar MP G Manivannan, Sri Muda assemblyman Suhaimi Shafiei, Batu Caves assemblyman Amiruddin Shari, Jingga NGO chairman and defeated Pekan candidate Fariz Musa, Serdang division chairman and defeated Semenyih candidate Hamidi Hassan and Puchong division chairman S Murali.