Don't try to be a hero, Xavier tells Akmal Nasir

PKR vice-president Dr Xavier Jayakumar has taken a swipe at Johor Baru MP Akmal Nasir over the latter’s attack on Economic Affairs Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali.

"I would like to advise these young people as someone who has been with the party for a long time.

"This (PKR) election is between family members. You want to be a champion, a hero, just for a short while, don't do it," Jayakumar, who is also Water, Land and Natural Resources Minister, told reporters when met while on the campaign trail for Pakatan Harapan's Seri Setia by-election candidate Halimey Abu Bakar.

All new PKR office-bearers will be announced at its annual congress in November and Jayakumar added the party should remain united regardless of any outcome.

"This party has gone through all kinds of ordeals and hardships to get to where we are today [which is] to run the country and several states.

"That is a heavy responsibility. So these young leaders who are championing (promoting) themselves, who just joined the party, they have to be careful," he further cautioned.

The Kuala Langat MP, who is defending his vice-president's post and aligned to Azmin in the ongoing PKR party polls, said this when asked for comments on Akmal's reported remarks during a forum last night.

The first-term MP and debut PKR youth chief contender had yesterday accused Azmin of not being loyal to PKR president-elect Anwar Ibrahim.

Akmal, who is aligned to Azmin's rival Rafizi Ramli, claimed that this was based on Azmin's eleventh-hour decision to defend his deputy president's post amid speculation that he might challenge Anwar for the presidency.

Azmin only confirmed that he would be defending his post on Aug 5, the nomination day for the PKR's central leadership positions.

Previously, a PKR lawmaker Abdullah Sani Abdul Hamid had accused Azmin of colluding with Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his trusted advisor Daim Zainuddin to prevent Anwar from becoming the next prime minister.

However, both Azmin and Anwar have dismissed such talk, with the former reaffirming his loyalty to the incoming president. - Mkini