All parties have problems, says ex-Port Dickson MP on Anwar-Azmin rift

Former Port Dickson MP Danyal Balagopal Abdullah has no regrets about giving up his seat for Anwar Ibrahim. (Bernama pic)

PORT DICKSON: Former Port Dickson MP Danyal Balagopal Abdullah, who gave up his seat for party president Anwar Ibrahim last September, said every political party has internal problems.

He also reiterated that he has no regrets about standing down so that Anwar could contest the Port Dickson seat and win in a by-election.

“Tell me which party doesn’t have problems. You think Umno, DAP, Amanah, PPBM, PAS have no problems?” he asked FMT on the sidelines of the PKR retreat that ends on Sunday.

Danyal was responding to the rift between Anwar and the party’s number two, Mohamed Azmin Ali.

He said opposition politicians and some others were giving the impression that PKR was in turmoil.

Admitting that there were some issues, he said, however, that they were not insurmountable.

He expected party leaders to work it out and for the situation to return to normal.

Danyal, who retired as a naval admiral after about 40 years in service, continues to serve the people of Port Dickson,

“I am here to serve. There are so many land issues. Furthermore, people are benefiting from my move as Anwar is the future prime minister and the people here will surely benefit,” he said.

On his plans, he said he was open to any offer from the government.

He said he wanted to serve the people and that if he were offered positions in government-linked companies or even made a senator, he would be open to accepting it.

Danyal had come under fire when he gave up his seat last year for Anwar to stand, with some voters even calling him a traitor.

He was, in fact, not originally slated to stand for Port Dickson. PKR’s losing candidate for the Linggi state seat in the 2013 general election, Rosman Jonet, was to have contested the Port Dickson parliamentary seat in the 14th general election on May 9.

However, on the eve of nomination day, PKR found out he would be disqualified as he had not submitted his election expense account for the previous election to the Election Commission, as required by law. That was when Danyal came into the picture. - FMT