IN ‘BOLEH-LAND’ TRUTH IS STRANGER THAN FICTION – AND NEVER SAY NEVER: AZMIN JOINING GERAKAN IS TOO FAR-FETCHED AN IDEA? OR WILL HE JOIN BERSATU/UMNO – WHILE HIS NON-MALAY ATTACK DOGS JOIN GERAKAN?

 ‘If Azmin leaves PKR, it will be for greener pastures and not for a sinking, leaking ship.’

Awang Top: PKR deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali is embroiled in a scandal and Gerakan wants him? Gerakan would have to deal with his scandal for many months to come.

Also, does this mean Azmin won’t be part of the cabinet since Gerakan is an opposition party? Very intriguing.

ChuenTick: Oh, come on. Gerakan must be so desperate, its leaders have become delusional.

Azmin is a political animal. If he leaves PKR, it will be for greener pastures and not for a sinking, leaking ship.

Puzzling: Azmin has strong support in PKR and may even be stronger than we can imagine. Therefore, it will make more sense for Azmin to at least attempt to take over the leadership of PKR from president Anwar Ibrahim.

If he fails, the next logical step is to join Bersatu which will readily accept him and his team of members of Parliament.

It is too far-fetched to think that he will join Gerakan. It just does not make any sense.

Whichever of the above happens, Anwar’s prospect of becoming the next prime minister will be threatened.

Siva1967: Actually, the notion is a welcomed proposition. With Azmin moving to Gerakan and the party making an exception for him to become party president, and with his followers joining him, Gerakan can truly become a multi-racial party.

This will pave the way towards a more “Malaysian” Malaysia and with all races supporting Azmin (Gerakan), we might have a better united Malaysia.

I say Azmin should go for it. Come out of the shadow of Anwar and Dr Mahathir Mohamad and carve his own destiny. Sex video or not, I think it will be better for Malaysia in the long run.

From one Gombak guy to the other: “Azmin, go for it.”

Anonymous 1689721435778173: Wishful thinking, Gerakan. Your glory days are over. Azmin is likely to remain in PKR. He will not join Bersatu, because of his non-Malay supporters.

Why would he join Gerakan? Just because it is multiracial? How can it add value to Azmin’s cause? He can very well form his own multiracial party without Gerakan’s baggage.

Fair Play: In politics, never say never. This is a speculative comment. There may be some element of truth about Azmin’s move to Gerakan.

According to the report, Azmin has some 15 MPs in his camp. If he remains in PKR, he and his entourage might be annihilated unless he thinks he can topple Anwar as head of PKR.

By joining Gerakan, he will be the top dog and not just a general. Gerakan would then be bigger than Bersatu in terms of the number of MPs.

Gerakan is based in Penang and Azmin would have the opportunity to woo Penang voters away from DAP and make Penang his home base.

Without Mahathir, Bersatu will likely fade into the horizon and Azmin’s ambition to be the eighth prime minister might likely turn into smoke. DAP should take this matter seriously.

Determined Sarawakian: Why would Azmin want to leave PKR? He’s the second man there and doing a fantastic job previously as Selangor menteri besar and now as a good economic affairs minister.

Mowgli – Jungle Book: This just goes to show that there is a dearth of capable leaders within Gerakan since the demise of founding president Lim Chong Eu. The party is now like parched earth. Sad indeed.

And Justice for all: Not possible at all. Azmin wants to be in the government.

If he joins Gerakan, there is no possibility of Gerakan being admitted into Harapan. DAP and PKR will not admit the party into Harapan. Hence, Gerakan and he will be a member of the opposition, which will not be so enticing to his supporters.

So it’s Bersatu if they ever do it. But Mahathir cannot make Azmin prime minister if he joins Bersatu. Not with Bersatu’s 20 seats, plus the 15-odd seats Azmin brings in. His old pals from PAS may throw their support behind him, which probably adds another 16 or 17 seats.

He would probably get Parti Warisan Sabah, Gabungan Parti Sarawak and some Umno people to support him. This means Mahathir will need to form a new alliance and screw Harapan in the process.

All this to make Azmin prime minister? The question is, how deep is Mahathir’s love for him? So, the answer is no.

Azmin needs to conquer PKR from within if he wants to be prime minister. The numbers in, and out, of Harapan are not in his favour.

Azmin needs to hope to God that Mahathir doesn’t leave him out to dry in the process. He is as good as over. I wouldn’t say finished, because in politics nobody is really finished until they are dead.

Howway: Haha, the party has lost all relevance and is clinging on to rumours to get into the news, any news. What shameful leadership.

Azmin’s party meeting attendance record – zilch!

PKR deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali (above) has not attended a single party central leadership council (MPP) or political bureau meeting since being re-elected last November.

This was confirmed by party secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, when contacted by Malaysiakini.

When asked if Azmin had ever sought leave of absence, Saifuddin (above, right) said curtly: “(He) never stated his reasons.”

Malaysiakini had enquired about Azmin’s attendance record after he asked the press why was he being “targeted” over his absenteeism from important party meetings.

Azmin also did not attend the party’s recent retreat in Port Dickson, where he was scheduled to speak.

The political bureau – which performs an executive function – meets weekly, while the MPP – the party’s highest decision making body – meets monthly.

There are currently 41 members of the MPP, of which 28 are elected while 13 are co-opted.

Twenty-two of the 41 appeared on Azmin’s preferred candidates list (commonly known as cai) during the party election last year.

Malaysiakini last spotted Azmin at a political bureau meeting in September last year.

Earlier today, Azmin told reporters outside the Selangor legislative assembly that it was normal for elected representatives to be missing from party meetings if they have government duties to fulfil.

“It is a normal process. Why target me?” he asked, when quizzed about his absence from the party’s MPP meeting yesterday.

Yesterday, PKR communications director Fahmi Fazil (above) said the secretary-general had issued a reminder to all MPP members to attend meetings.

He said the reminder also stated that dates for meetings have been decided months in advance.

“The leaders have been reminded to be present (for the meetings) and prioritise their attendance so that we can, as a party, coordinate on decisions taken.

“That reminder has been issued to all leaders,” he said.

– M’kini