Anwar says won't comment on party issues until three-day retreat is over

PORT DICKSON: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim says he will heed the advice of PKR members and refrain from making any statements on the party until he has gathered views from all quarters at the three-day leadership retreat.

The PKR president when approached by journalists after delivering his speech on the second day of the event said he would obey the request by members and only speak to the media on Sunday (July 21).

"I have to listen to them and will only talk to you once this is over.

"So you can leave because I have no comment today," he said on Saturday (July 20).

Anwar said he had also listened to views from vice-presidents Tian Chua and Dr Xavier Jayakumar this morning.

Both are said to be aligned to Anwar's deputy Datuk Seri Azmin Ali who is currently involved in a spat with his president.

"Some said Tian Chua was not coming but he is here and he spoke.

"So I need to listen to all sides before I can say anything," he said.

Asked to comment on the remark by Pakatan Harapan chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad that PKR members should stop their infighting, Anwar said the Prime Minister wasn't referring to his party.

"What he said was that Pakatan Harapan should continue to cooperate.

"He was not referring to infighting in PKR," he said.

Dr Mahathir in his opening speech at the retreat on Friday night advised the four partners in the coalition to put aside differences and work towards fulfilling pledges made to the rakyat.

The Prime Minister also said if the Pakatan members could set aside their differences before the general election to save the country from being ruined, there is no reason why they could not continue doing so.

"We told ourselves that we had to put aside our differences as only we could initiate change and no one else," Dr Mahathir said.

Other PKR leaders conspicuously missing from Friday's opening event were Azmin and vice-presidents Zuraida Kamaruddin, women's wing chief Haniza Talha, and youth wing deputy chief Muhammad Hilman Idham.

Fellow vice-president Zuraida said she could not attend the retreat because she needed to attend the World Firefighters' Day at Dataran Merdeka today and that she would be flying off to Surabaya on Sunday (July 21).

Azmin is due to deliver a speech tonight. However, it cannot be established if he would turn up.- Star