Sungai Acheh assemblyperson Zulkifli Ibrahim has confirmed that he attended a meeting called by Seberang Jaya assemblyperson Dr Afif Bahardin at the latter's service centre yesterday.
When contacted, the PKR lawmaker also confirmed that several other state assemblypersons, including from Umno, PAS and Bersatu, were present at the meeting.
Responding to speculations surrounding the meeting, Zulkifli told Malaysiakini: "Yes there was a meeting but I cannot disclose what was discussed."
"We discussed one or two matters," he said, and when quizzed further, indicated that the group might issue a joint statement at a later time.
A media alert yesterday hinted about the meeting and a person named "Hery" who claimed to be Afif's special officer revealed that it was "planned in secret" over the past week.
Afif's office later denied that Hery was employed as the former state exco's special officer.
The Seberang Jaya representative's office also denied that a press conference was held yesterday although it did not address rumours about the meeting.
Last night, activist and former PKR leader Badrul Hisham Shaharin, however, revealed two photographs were taken at Afif's office in Bukit Mertajam City Mall yesterday, including one which showed an ongoing meeting.
Zulkifli noted that speculations surrounding his attendance at the meeting were partly fueled by his recent appointment as a Farmers' Organisation Authority (LPP) board member by Agriculture and Food Industries Minister Ronald Kiandee.
"I was surprised because I am still a PKR member [...] but I accepted the appointment because my constituency is an agricultural area.
"I also have experience in the agricultural field," he added.
Afif was suspended from PKR early last month as part of the party's purge against those known to be aligned with former party deputy president Azmin Ali after he triggered the "Sheraton Move" which led to the downfall of the Pakatan Harapan coalition government.
Since then, Afif, along with Gombak Setia assemblyperson Hilman Idham, has founded a new NGO dubbed Pemuda Negara, with a line-up of state coordinators that featured names previously affiliated with PKR.
PKR has yet to decide on Afif's membership status but the second term elected representative had to quit his state exco post following Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow's advice.
The state Harapan council has also relegated Afif and two other Bersatu state assemblypersons to the opposition block. - Mkini
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