Wangsa Maju MP defends Rafizi ties, says staying in PKR

 

Wangsa Maju MP Zahir Hassan has defended his continued ties with former PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli, saying their relationship should not signal his intent to leave PKR.

“I am close to Rafizi. Just because he left and formed Bersama, does that mean I have to fall out with him, stop speaking to him, or be afraid to meet him? That cannot be the case.

“We are human beings. He has his position, and I have mine,” Zahir (above) told Malaysiakini when met in Parliament yesterday.

He said political differences should not prevent former colleagues from maintaining ties, adding that managing such relationships requires greater maturity.

“If we look at the unity government now, there are tensions among unity government backbenchers. I think those clashes are far more challenging, damaging and destructive than me remaining in contact with Rafizi (below),” he said.

Zahir also pointed to his continued ties with former PKR leader Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, whose Setiawangsa constituency borders Wangsa Maju.

“We were once in the same party. Surely it cannot be the case that we are not even allowed to keep in touch or exchange views? I do not think that reflects maturity,” he said.

Zahir has been regarded as part of a group of PKR lawmakers aligned with Rafizi, particularly on governance and institutional reform issues.

That perception intensified after he attended the May event where Rafizi and Nik Nazmi announced their departure from PKR and involvement in Bersama.

Zahir, however, said at the time that he would remain in PKR and serve until the end of his parliamentary term.

He also previously joined Rafizi and several other former and current PKR MPs in publicly challenging the government on institutional reforms, migrant-worker policy and constituency allocations.

Since then, two other MPs previously linked to the same grouping, Wong Chen and Lee Chean Chung, have vacated their seats and left the party to join Bersama.

MP role

Asked whether their departures had changed his position, Zahir said each MP faced different circumstances and acted according to their own principles.

“My status quo is that I am an MP with responsibilities that I will continue to fulfil.

“That is my focus now, to continue playing my role as an MP as best and as effectively as possible, and to provide the best service to the voters of Wangsa Maju,” he said.

Zahir added that he had informed Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who is also PKR president, that he intended to take part in the Budget 2027 debate and raise several issues, including disaster-related matters.

Asked whether he remained active in PKR following Anwar’s recent remarks that Lee had stopped attending party meetings for some time, Zahir said he continued to attend party programmes.

“For example, I attended the most recent party congress in Malacca and listened to the president’s policy speech.

“That is my position, and that is what I have been doing,” he said.

On whether he remained part of the PKR central leadership council, Zahir said PKR MPs attended special sessions extended to all party lawmakers.

‘Free-for-all’

Separately, Zahir said the political landscape appeared increasingly like a “free-for-all”, amid speculation that the next general election could see Pakatan Harapan breaking ranks with its partners in government.

He argued that Kuala Lumpur voters were increasingly prepared to judge candidates independently of party affiliation.

“There is already a trend where voters increasingly evaluate the candidate more highly than the party,” he said.

Zahir added that political parties should not underestimate voters or focus only on short-term concerns.

“We cannot treat the people as fools. The empowerment of the people must continue so that they can make the best choices for the future, not just for the present,” he said. - Mkini