In Machap Jaya, 'sad' Azmin calls dropped Ginie Lim a victim of PKR

MALACCA POLLS | Bersatu supreme council member Azmin Ali, in a visit to Machap Jaya amid the Malacca polls today, sought to leverage the internal discontent in PKR after it did not field incumbent assemblyperson Ginie Lim as a candidate.

Azmin, who is the international trade and industry minister, said he was saddened by PKR's decision to drop Lim and urged her to continue fighting.

"Well, I am so sad that she was dropped from contending in the state election. I was made to understand that she was a victim in PKR because she was seen to be aligned to me," Azmin said.

Azmin was formerly the deputy PKR president before defecting to Bersatu.

Lim did not defect with Azmin. However, she was sidelined as she had previously clashed with the central leadership, including blocking the appointment of Malacca PKR chief Halim Bachik as a senator.

Azmin slammed PKR - People's Justice Party - for not doing justice to Lim.

"This is the immature politics practised in PKR which has caused PKR to become irrelevant in national politics.

"Its leaders cannot be just to their own (grassroots) leaders, how can they do justice for the people and voters?

"I sympathise with her but I hope she will continue on with her struggle. It does not necessarily have to be within PKR," he said.

Asked if Perikatan Nasional, the coalition comprising Bersatu, PAS, Gerakan, Star and SAPP, will invite Lim to join, Azmin said that was up to Lim.

"I respect any of her decision, but I sympathise that she had become a victim of PKR," he told the media after a closed-door event with some 30 villagers in Machap Jaya.

Azmin and PN's candidate for Machap Jaya Tai Siong Jiul spoke at the event.

Physical campaigning is banned due to the Covid-19 pandemic; however, the closed-door event was framed as a Budget 2022 engagement session with small and medium enterprises.

PKR has fielded Law Bing Haw as Harapan's candidate in the seat.

Other candidates contesting in the seat are BN's Ngwe Hee Sem, Iman's Abdul Aziz and independent candidate Azlan Daud.

Some PKR grassroots have expressed unhappiness at the PKR central's leadership decision to drop Lim, who had worked in the constituency since the 2008 general election and finally won in 2018.

PKR had sought to address that unhappiness in a bid to mitigate any damage in the Malacca polls.

Lim, however, said she accepted the decision. Lim has also been spotted in Machap Jaya campaigning with PKR president Anwar Ibrahim for Law.

Malaccans will go to the polls on Nov 20. Early voting commenced today. - Mkini