Rafie tells of an attempt to split him and Negeri's MB

Negeri Sembilan State Executive Councillor Mohamad Rafie Ab Malek has dismissed calls by the PKR grassroots to make him the party's state chief.

He denounced this as an attempt to incite disharmony between him and the state Menteri Besar Aminuddin Harun and to split the state administration and state leadership.

Aminuddin was recently appointed by the party president Anwar Ibrahim to helm the state leadership.

"The attempt by some quarters to instigate me and the menteri besar is inappropriate," said Mohamad Rafie, who is chairperson of the state’s Investment, Industrialisation, Entrepreneurship, Education and Human Capital Committee.

"Our focus is to develop the economy of the state. If we were to fight each other, when will we have time to look into the development?" he was quoted as saying by Berita Harian.

"He is still the PKR's state chief and I am with him to help him. We work as a team," he said.

Last week, Malaysiakini reported that the majority of PKR division leaders in the state rejected Aminuddin’s appointment as the PKR's state chief, citing his weakness in administration.

Aminuddin (photo), who is seen to be a supporter of the party's former vice-president Rafizi Ramli, was not accepted by the majority of the Negeri Sembilan grassroots leaders who purportedly support the other faction led by PKR deputy president Azmin Ali. 

A source who spoke on condition of anonymity said the grassroots leaders had proposed to Anwar for Rafie to helm the state earlier this month.

"The division leaders have their views and we respect these views, we were not ignoring them," said Rafie.

"It is via these views, we will try to mend the family (relationship) we have," he added.  - Mkini