I'll be more vocal and dangerous to PKR, Rafizi says over calls for him to quit party

 

Former PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli said calls for him to leave the party would ultimately be more detrimental to PKR.

The Pandan MP said he would not remain silent if he quit; instead, he would become more vocal and freer in expressing his views.

“The premise (of the call) is that if I leave the party, I’ll keep quiet. I don’t know where they learned that.

“No way. If I leave the party, I’ll be even more outspoken, even freer, and even more dangerous to PKR,” he told reporters at a Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration in Pandan, Kuala Lumpur, today.

He was responding to calls for him to exit PKR amid claims he has become a liability to the party.

Rafizi Ramli with Prime Minister and PKR president Anwar Ibrahim

Rafizi, a former economy minister, said such calls from lower-level PKR leaders reflected weakness and placed a burden on party president Anwar Ibrahim.

He pointed to Bersatu’s handling of its internal crisis, which resulted in Hamzah Zainudin being sacked as deputy president.

“When Muhyiddin (Yassin) felt Hamzah was no longer aligned with or was harming Bersatu, he sacked him outright.

“So, when Anwar does not speak up, and senior leaders - whether the deputy president or vice-presidents – do not dare to speak, those below are mobilised to pressure me to leave the party.

“That will make PKR president appear weak and lacking courage,” he said.

Rafizi added that PKR was in a dilemma as it tried to avoid addressing the underlying issues.

“The problem with PKR is that when it tries to avoid the real issues, it ends up putting itself in a dilemma. It is cornered – whatever it does becomes a problem.

“If they sack me, it’s a problem. If they retain me as they are doing now, it’s a problem. If I decide to leave on my own, it’s still a problem for them, because the problem is not me,” he said.

Essence of PKR

He also stressed that PKR must not forget its roots, adding that his outspokenness was not about whether criticism was made openly or internally.

“These are the same questions and criticisms I have raised for the past 15 or 16 years, regardless of who is in government. From Najib ( Abdul Razak) to Mahathir (Mohamad), if there are issues that those in power must answer, it doesn’t matter which party they are from.

“That is the essence of PKR. What is dangerous is if PKR, now in government, changes," said Rafizi.

"It cannot be that when issues concerning the rakyat were raised before, PKR called it good political culture.

“But when they are in government, and the same issues are raised and not answered, suddenly it must be brought up in meetings (through party channels). Malaysians have gone through this before, when PKR and I raised issues like 1MDB and corruption - that was also the response,” he said.

Previously, Johor PKR chief Dr Zaliha Mustafa said Rafizi’s public statements and criticisms could affect internal harmony and the party’s strength. - Mkini