I was former Umno loyalist too, says Anwar on Salleh’s PKR application

PKR president Anwar Ibrahim (centre) with Sabah PKR leaders in Kota Kinabalu today.

KOTA KINABALU: PKR president Anwar Ibrahim says there is no strong opposition to former Umno loyalist Salleh Said Keruak joining the party although his membership approval is still pending.

Anwar also said that while the party is aware of Salleh’s previous links to Umno, “that should not be too much of a reason not to accept him into PKR”.

“I was quite a committed member of Umno in the past,” he told reporters after attending the Sabah PKR convention in Penampang, near here, today.

He said the party is fully aware that Salleh, a former multimedia and communications minister, was loyal to previous prime minister Najib Razak.

“I take that into consideration … Sabah PKR chief Christina Liew and some Sabah leaders have also expressed their views that he was stalwart in defence of Najib in the past.

“But if he says now he’s very committed to the party’s (PKR) struggle, we have to consider. To me, what is not negotiable is that you must adhere to the reform agenda – accept the fact this is party of reform,” Anwar said.

Salleh applied to join the party online in August, and there had been talk that Anwar would induct him into the party at the convention today.

He left Umno in December last year during the exodus in Sabah Umno.

Anwar said he has personally informed Salleh that while there is no objection in principle to him joining PKR, his application will need to go through the due process.

“So, it is not that we are withdrawing. I told him that as a party, we don’t have problems about accepting him but we have to take into account the sentiments of members on the ground and the state.

“So, that process is ongoing which I foresee will not have problems,” he said.

Explaining PKR’s online membership registration, Anwar said an applicant will automatically be a member, “but if it is a known name, then probably we will need to get back to the division and the state to give us advice”.

“I personally informed him the process needs to be respected. We are not in a rush, so give us more time.”

On Pakatan Harapan’s 20% oil royalty election pledge to Sabah and Sarawak, Anwar said both states should get what they had been promised previously.

However, he said, what was more important was to first build good governance at the state and federal levels.

“We have billions of dollars, not ringgit, from timber concessions, among others, but there are lots of wastage, leakages and corruption.

“To me, it’s ensuring the funds are disbursed fairly,” he said. - FMT