KJ dubs PKR’s handling of Liberal International issue a ‘PR disaster’

 

Khairy Jamaluddin said the issue would not have prolonged if PKR had ‘come clean’.  (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA: Khairy Jamaluddin last night labelled PKR’s handling of its alleged ties to Liberal International, which stands in solidarity with the people of Israel following the war in Gaza, a “PR disaster”.

The former Umno Youth chief said the matter could have been resolved in a day if the party had admitted its relationship with the UK-based organisation.

Instead, the issue prolonged because PKR denied any links to LI from the start, he said.

“I think the issue here is why didn’t they (PKR) come clean?

“This is an example of a PR disaster because it could have been resolved within a day,” he said in the latest episode of a podcast he co-hosts with former Umno information chief Shahril Hamdan.

On Nov 3, PKR information chief Fahmi Fadzil denied the party had any links with LI and condemned the “deliberate attempts” by some quarters to associate it with the international organisation of liberal parties.

The denial was in response to screenshots of PKR being listed as a member of the organisation on its official website, raising questions of a possible link. Apart from PKR, opposition party Gerakan was listed.

The following day, Fahmi revealed that LI had visited Malaysia before and even congratulated party president Anwar Ibrahim’s victory and conducted certain activities.

Anwar had also attended its ceremonies or programmes on invitation, but not as a member, he said.

LI has since removed PKR’s name and logo from its website.

Shahril said if PKR had admitted the nature of its relationship with LI and explained it to the public, the optics would not have been “too damaging”.

“When the story is not consistent, a PR blunder like this happens,” he said. - FMT