Sack Azmin? Issue does not arise, says Anwar

PKR AGM | PKR president Anwar Ibrahim says there are no plans to sack his deputy, Azmin Ali, so far.

This comes despite a number of delegates staging a walkout from the PKR National Congress yesterday, which was orchestrated by Azmin's faction, as well as the notable absences of almost every senior leader from that faction today, except for vice-president Tian Chua.

"This issue (of Azmin's sacking) does not arise. The sacking was expressed by delegates but none of the leadership has given an affirmative response.

"I have no issue with negotiating but the problem which was expressed strongly (by the delegates) is a sentiment of wanting the party to be united and not tolerate those seen as deviating from discipline," Anwar said in a press conference after the closing of the PKR congress at the Malacca International Trade Centre (MITC) today.

Asked if this means he has forgiven Azmin, Anwar said, with a smile: "I am a forgiving person."

However, he added that this was not a personal issue.

"I have to listen to the voices and sentiments (of the delegates) and, as I've said, I have listened to their wishes so we should give them some space," he said.

Anwar also said many of those who walked out yesterday — in protest of what they deemed as incendiary speeches from the delegates — came back to the congress today.

"Some came back, quite a number was present.

"Many of them came and said they were there... (they) were not ready to take that path of boycotting the congress so some came back, quite a number came back," he said.

Asked whether a reconciliation was possible, Anwar quoted former US president John F Kennedy, who had said: "Let us never negotiate out of fear, but let us never fear to negotiate."

Following this, Anwar said the process of reconciliation must be "open" and that he has been conciliatory in his speeches at the congress.

Anwar and Azmin purportedly agreed on a ceasefire during the congress.

Both leaders had adopted reconciliatory tones during their addresses at the congress and appealed for rapprochement.

Although there were no clear signs of a rift during the speeches made during the PKR Youth and Women's wing congresses yesterday, a significant number of delegates for the main congress took veiled jabs at Azmin.

This caused a number of delegates and leaders to stage a walkout, and in a press conference later, Azmin and his supporters expressed their disappointment in Anwar and his supporters over the speeches.

Azmin said this was because the two camps had reached a four-point agreement to ceasefire before the congress, which included a pledge that there would be a fair composition of debaters at the congress, and all were to refrain from attacking or hurting the feelings of any side.

In his press conference today, Anwar said he wanted the delegates to avoid casting aspersions or personal attacks, which most of the delegates avoided.

"But if the delegates say they want leaders to observe discipline and honour their pledges, how do you control that?

"Except when they walked out, then we have lost control. But, before that, generally, people maintained decorum in their speeches. However, you can't expect a democratic political party to be a mouthpiece of their leaders," Anwar added. - Mkini