Amid speculation of a rift within PKR as well as Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his allies purportedly attempting to impede Anwar Ibrahim's political advancement, a series of controversial audio recordings have surfaced.
Among others, the voice in the recordings, which supposedly sounds similar to Anwar's, is heard describing PKR deputy president Azmin Ali as Mahathir's “barua (lackey)”.
However, PKR leaders have dismissed the recordings as fake.
One of them, PKR communications chief Fahmi Fadzil, told Malaysiakini that when Anwar's wife Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail heard the voice, she remarked, “That is not my husband.”
The three recordings, which are less than 10 seconds each, are circulating on WhatsApp.
In the first, the voice states that he is pitting vice-president Rafizi Ramli against Azmin for the deputy president's post because the latter is aligned to Mahathir.
The other two recordings are critical of Mahathir. One criticises the prime minister's move to appoint himself as Khazanah Nasional chairperson, while the other dredges up the 1990s forex scandal.
Apart from Fahmi, PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution, Rafizi, vice-president Tian Chua, Women's chief Zuraida Kamaruddin and deputy Youth chief Afif Bahardin also dismissed the recordings as unauthentic with the intent to create disharmony.
Below are their comments:
Fahmi: I'm not family but I speak to Anwar frequently. In the first recording, it kind of sounds like him, but by the time you hear the third recording, you know it's not him, the accent is off.
This was done by the enemies of the party to create discord, and we can expect more of this misinformation, including those regarding overseas accounts allegedly held by Azmin.
Rafizi: No, not all (Anwar did not instruct me to take on Azmin). It is not in our tradition for top leaders to interfere. I did inform Anwar about my intention, but it is not true that he instructed me to contest.
It is my own decision after consulting with friends in the grassroots.
Party members will judge candidates on whether there is a divided loyalty - either you are loyal to the idealism of reformasi and will carry through that idealism in government - now that we are in government; or whether you will be beholden to the positions you are appointed to.
It is not so much an issue of whether who is loyal to whom - either Anwar or Mahathir - (but) it is the strong undercurrent that wants to see party leaders carry through the promise of reformasi through the government.
Tian Chua: Don't bring Umno election culture of smearing and fake news into PKR. I don't know, but I hope it is not (done by someone within PKR).
Saifuddin: Whoever did it (the recordings), is obviously trying to create suspicion about Anwar's relationship with Mahathir.
We have wasted 20 years (since the reformasi in 1998). Now both of them enjoy a good relationship, have reconciled, and are prepared to work together.
Anwar has repeatedly told PKR leaders to support Mahathir's leadership.
Afif: The recordings are meant to halt the advancement of the Anwar-Azmin combination as the dynamic duo to lead the party. - Mkini
Agree. It was not DSAI's voice...
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