PKR split? Rubbish, says Saifuddin

Mohamed Azmin Ali and Rafizi Ramli are both contesting for the deputy president post in PKR.

PUTRAJAYA: PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail today quashed rumours that the party is split and intends to “go over to the other side”.

“The idea of merging with Umno has never arisen and talk that PKR will split into two, three or four factions has been around since the party was founded 20 years ago.

“These rumours arise because the party is made up of members from NGOs, Umno members, activists and community leaders,” he told the media after attending the domestic trade and consumer affairs ministry’s monthly assembly here today.

Saifuddin said it was this diversity in membership that also gave PKR its strength.

Some, he said, saw the keen contests for posts in this year’s party polls as the source of the split but “could not see that democracy was thriving in PKR”.

There has been speculation on social media that PKR would split into two camps — one aligning with Umno to form Barisan Harapan Malaysia, which allegedly will be led by PKR president-elect Anwar Ibrahim, and the other with Pakatan Harapan, which is headed by Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad. -FMT