GEORGE TOWN: Rafizi Ramli, a contender for PKR’s deputy presidency, spoke today of the sacrifices he had made to help his rival Saifuddin Nasution Ismail when Saifuddin had been “jobless” after being defeated in the 2013 general election.
In the 2013 general election, Saifuddin was defeated by an Umno candidate in Kulim-Bandar Bharu. He won election there in 2018.
Rafizi, a PKR vice-president, said he persuaded Saifuddin to return to active politics after the latter’s 2013 election defeat, and also made way for Saifuddin to become party secretary-general, a post Saifuddin still holds.
His remarks about Saifuddin came in response to comments Saifuddin made recently about Rafizi’s two-year hiatus from politics, which led to criticism that Rafizi had been absent when the party needed all hands.
Rafizi urged Saifuddin not to seek to embarrass others by making personal remarks.
He said he had been instrumental in Saifuddin being given a position in Penang after Saifuddin had left the country to work in Indonesia. Rafizi said he came up with a working paper for the Penang state government to appoint Saifuddin as a strategic adviser to chief minister Lim Guan Eng in 2017.
“The Penang government accepted my paper, and Saifuddin got a job.
“I also resigned as secretary-general (in 2016) to let Saifuddin take on the role, as I thought at the time, my vice-presidency was enough,” Rafizi said. At the time Rafizi was a vice-president (an elected position) and had also been appointed as secretary-general of the party.
Rafizi said he had also gone on a nationwide tour to campaign for Pakatan Harapan when he was disallowed from contesting in the 2018 general election because of a court case. “So why target me for your failures,” he said.
He said was not offended by remarks made by Saifuddin, whom he regarded as “a good friend” but was merely answering questions by a member in Permatang Pauh.
Rafizi spoke to some 200 PKR members at Bayan Baru today in his campaign for the deputy presidency. The party elections will be held from May 13-18.
Separately, Rafizi said he left active politics because then prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad had shown dislike of him, and he did not want it to affect the transfer of power between Mahathir and PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim.
“I’m not stupid. I could see the signs from the leadership at that time. I went on leave from party duties. I did not want to be a stumbling block between the government and Tun M,” he said.
Rafizi said he would continue to serve the party should he be defeated in the party elections. He said he would also continue doing his best if he was elected again as MP for Pandan, Selangor, a seat he held for one term from 2013-2018. The seat is currently held by PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail. - FMT
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