As the PKR leadership elections heat up, deputy president hopeful Mohamed Azmin Ali and his faction have been accused of previously attempting to stall the formation of Pakatan Harapan.
The former Selangor menteri besar has also been accused of disruptively trying to maintain ties with PAS in order to cement his hold on the state.
This was revealed to Malaysiakini by incumbent Youth chief Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, who is supporting Azmin’s arch nemesis Rafizi Ramli, who is battling Azmin for the No 2 post in the party.
According to Nik Nazmi, Azmin’s faction had engineered a petition against party president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail to stop herfrom launching Pakatan Harapan, way back in September 2015.
“Before the formation of Harapan, there was a PKR supreme council meeting where she (Wan Azizah) sought the mandate to discuss the formation of the coalition from the supreme council. They were trying to basically hinder her.
“After she declared it, they said she was acting beyond her mandate… that there was a petition that was going on to review the formation of Harapan because they felt that she was acting beyond her mandate,” Nik Nazmi, the Setiawangsa MP, said at his service centre yesterday.
He clarified that the supreme council members responsible for the petition were those “aligned with Azmin”, though Azmin (photo) himself did not vocally object to the electoral pact.
Nik Nazmi contended that Azmin’s faction had little confidence in Harapan because it excluded PAS, and had attempted to cause friction within the coalition from the beginning.
“When we wanted to form Harapan and break ties with PAS, and when we wanted to put (Harapan chairperson) Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Anwar Ibrahim as the PM candidates, sometimes Azmin and the people around him came out with statements that were not helpful to achieve the cause,” he said.
'Azmin defended PAS alliance at all costs'
In 2017, when PKR instructed all its Kelantan exco members to resign after PAS formally cut ties with the party, Nik Nazmi claimed Azmin and his faction again complicated matters because they were in favour of working with the Islamist party.
“There were so many problems in the process.
“It was because Azmin and the people around him wanted to defend the alliance with PAS at all costs,” he said.
Despite previously being part of Azmin’s government in Selangor, Nik Nazmi said this series of events had led him to back Rafizi instead.
“Rafizi is better suited because he will go out to make things happen.
“And not just look at the numbers and say, ‘Oh, PAS is still very popular, so let’s continue to talk to PAS even though PAS insults us and the PAS leadership can’t be trusted to work with. Let’s put all our hopes with PAS because that’s important to defend Selangor’,” he said.
“He (Azmin) was focused on Selangor. I don’t think he was very confident about winning national power... whereas Rafizi was more focused on the big picture.
“He (Azmin) could be a better team player,” the lawmaker added.
Nik Nazmi himself is in the running for a seat in the party leadership council (MPP).
Malaysiakini is contacting Azmin and PKR supreme council members for comment.
Rafizi a 'straightforward' choice
Meanwhile, Nik Nazmi characterised Rafizi as being a more “straightforward” choice who was committed to the party and president-elect Anwar Ibrahim.
“I think with Rafizi (photo) as deputy, it will be a more straightforward affair. If the deputy is solidly for the president, then these issues can be managed better.
“And Rafizi has been clear that he wants to focus on rebuilding the party. He has no parliamentary seat and I think that would be very good for the party,” he said.
“It’s not so much the issue that Azmin is not capable but it is an issue where Rafizi is better suited and more capable. So that’s why I think Rafizi should be given a chance.
“Azmin can focus on being a minister,” Nik Nazmi added.
Azmin is the economic affairs minister and in recent weeks allegations of disloyalty towards Anwar have been made against him.
It was also claimed that Prime Minister Mahathir was using Azmin to keep his former nemesis Anwar in check, and that this was the reason why Azmin was given the powerful ministerial portfolio.
Both Mahathir and Azmin have denied this.
Both Mahathir and Azmin have denied this.
In response, Azmin defended his long record of service in PKR.
"When they talk about Reformasi, the real challenge of Reformasi was 1999, and at least during the first 10 years. I was there.
"I have been loyal to the cause and the struggle. The members have seen me in action, I have worked for the party.
"So, I will leave it to them (party members) to decide," Azmin had declared. - Mkini
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.