PKR deputy president contender Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has clarified that he never permanently left Malaysia to work in Jakarta when he was "jobless" after the 2013 general election.
Saifuddin in a Facebook post said his PKR secretary-general position also has nothing to do with supposed "assistance" from Rafizi Ramli, his opponent for the PKR number two position.
Contrary to Rafizi's claim, Saifuddin said he had after losing the 2013 general election, travelled almost weekly between Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta to accept paid speaking invitations from various institutions as means of income to support his wife and five children.
At the same time, Saifuddin said he held on to his secretary-general post until the PKR party election, and later as a member of the party's political bureau - leading up to the official formation of Pakatan Harapan on Sept 22, 2015.
"After the 2014 PKR elections, Rafizi held the vice-president and secretary-general's post. Nearly two years after that in November 2016, I was reappointed (as secretary-general) by then PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail to replace Rafizi who was facing a series of court cases," added Saifuddin.
Saifuddin said this in response to Rafizi's claims that were reportedly made yesterday while on the campaign trail with some 200 Bayan Baru PKR members.
Return to active politics
Online portal Free Malaysia Today quoted Rafizi as saying that he persuaded Saifuddin to return to active politics after the latter’s 2013 election defeat, and also made way as party secretary-general for Saifuddin to take up the post.
The former Pandan MP also said he had come up with a working paper for the Penang state government to appoint Saifuddin as a strategic adviser to then Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng in 2017.
"Rafizi said he made way for me. Made way only after two years?
"I also held the adviser position for a year, more to strategic needs at the time and had nothing to do with Rafizi's attempt to 'help' his 'jobless' friend after the election loss," said Saifuddin.
Saifuddin said his reappointment as PKR secretary-general led to increased discussions with Lim who offered him the adviser's position, working together with preacher Wan Ji Wan Husin as a special officer in the chief minister's office.
"I'm uncertain what working paper Rafizi is referring to that gave me the position in Penang.
"What I remember the most was that Rafizi never had a good relationship with Lim," he said.
Saifuddin, however, maintained that he had no intention to further drag his dispute with Rafizi and that the PKR deputy president's race is unlikely to destroy their friendship.
Rafizi's remarks were reportedly made in response to Saifuddin's jibe that some PKR leaders chose to go on hiatus when the party was at its lowest ebb after the Sheraton Move that saw Harapan being ousted from Putrajaya.
The PKR polls will be held from May 13 to May 18. - Mkini
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