Selangor deputy speaker quits PKR

Selangor deputy speaker Dr Daroyah Alwi, who is also the Sementa assemblyperson, has quit PKR.

She is the latest elected representative aligned to former PKR deputy president Azmin Ali to quit the party.

“I, member number B1800073914, would like to announce my resignation as the Wanita PKR deputy chief as well as quitting the party effective today.

“I made this decision because I have lost confidence and trust in the president and the party which has veered away from the idealism of the fight as well as the direction of the party,” Daroyah (above) said in a press conference in Shah Alam today.

Doralyah was accompanied by 35 other PKR leaders and members who also announced their departure.

She had been upset at the suspension of her chief, Lembah Jaya assemblyperson Haniza Talha.

This brings PKR's seats in the Selangor state assembly down to 18, but still remains the biggest party in Pakatan Harapan.

For now, Harapan still controls 42 seats in the 56-member House.

However, more defections are expected among disgruntled Azmin allies who are still in PKR.

Haniza, who contested as part of Azmin's team during the 2018 PKR elections, was suspended in April, shortly after Azmin's defection.

Azmin had in February led the defection of 10 other MPs from PKR, contributing to the collapse of the Harapan government.

Haniza had set up the "Nation of Women" NGO, seen as the precursor to the women's wing of a future party Azmin and his allies are planning to set up. 

Daroyah was present when the NGO was launched on June 5.

Another Azmin key ally in Penang, Seberang Jaya assemblyperson Dr Afif Bahardin, was also suspended from PKR and had set up the Pemuda Negara NGO, seen as the groundwork for a future youth wing.

Speculation had been rife that Azmin and his allies are planning to set up Parti Negara but for now, they are being housed under Bersatu.

The Harapan federal government collapsed in late February after Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin pulled his party out of the coalition.

Muhyiddin was sworn in as the new prime minister on March 1 after he formed the Perikatan Nasional coalition comprising Bersatu, the PKR defectors, BN, PAS, GPS, PBS and Star.

However, due to Harapan's supermajority in Selangor, it was able to maintain control of the state government despite the loss of five Bersatu and two PKR assemblypersons.

The two PKR assemblypersons were Azmin, who held both federal and state seats, and his aide Hilman Idham who was the Gombak Setia assemblyperson.

Daroyah also said she was not looking to join other political parties for now but would be friendlier towards the Perikatan Nasional government.

In a separate statement, Kapar PKR Youth said Daroyah should resign from her post as the Selangor deputy speaker.

They also want her to vacate her state seat as she had campaigned for and won the seat under PKR’s banner and used the name of party president Anwar Ibrahim in order to garner votes.

“In the 14th general election, Sementa chose her only because she was contesting on PKR’s ticket.

“Today, the mandate given by the rakyat has been betrayed by her. We urge her to vacate the Sementa state seat immediately so that the rakyat is given a chance to choose their assemblyperson,” Kapar PKR Youth said in a statement. - Mkini