AS ANWAR EXPOSES 'MANIPULATION', AZMIN'S LITTLE CREEPY-CRAWLIES COME OUT OF THE WOODWORK: JUST DAYS BEFORE PKR CONGRESS, YOUTHS ALIGNED TO PRO-MAHATHIR AZMIN CARTEL DEMAND NO-CONFIDENCE VOTE AGAINST ANWAR
KUALA LUMPUR – The rift within PKR appears to be widening just days before the party's crucial annual convention, with several of its Youth wing leaders now demanding that a vote of no-confidence be called against president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
They are Lembah Pantai Youth vice-chief Nazrin Idham Razali, Sandakan pro-tem secretary Isaac Wong Kah Kiet and Lembah Pantai committee members — Mohd Nur Fadli Omar, Mohd Faizal Yahya and Muhammad Yazid Mohamad Salleh. All these leaders are aligned with PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Azmin Ali's faction.
In a joint statement, the Youth leaders claimed that Anwar was undermining the party's own reform agenda amid attempts to kick out leaders who were perceived as not being supportive of his leadership.
"Initially, there were attempts to force the deputy president (Azmin) and vice-president Zuraida Kamaruddin to resign. Then the disciplinary board took extreme action by sacking senior MPP (central leadership committee) leader Zakaria Abdul Hamid only on suspicion of graft.
"Then the elected permanent Youth chairman and his deputy were unceremoniously sacked using the unacceptable excuse of age limit although they were within the eligible age limit during the wing elections last year," the group said, pointing out that 20 leaders had submitted a memorandum to the party disciplinary committee, protesting the unjust sacking of Zakaria.
The group accused Anwar of being focused on his personal agenda of becoming the next prime minister.
"We propose a vote of no-confidence against Anwar.
"Rash actions taken by Anwar and his team should be rendered null and void, as 20 MPP members had protested against their recent decision to sack Zakaria," the group said.
– Malay Mail
Anwar: Statement was manipulated to include apology
GEORGE TOWN: PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will not apologise for the party's sacking of Bera division chief Zakaria Abdul Hamid.
"I confirmed with PKR vice-presidents Tian Chua and R. Sivarasa. They only protested to the sacking and asked the party disciplinary committee to reconsider.
"Asking for the president to apologise was not in the statement and it has been manipulated.
"I am not sure who manipulated the statement, but it was signed by the deputy president.
"The statement has to be agreed to by all. However, some paragraphs were not in the draft," said Anwar.
He was referring to a memorandum signed by 20 PKR central committee members in protest of Zakaria's sacking.
Anwar said the statement was "manipulated" because the signatories only protested to Zakaria's sacking but never asked for him to apologise in the draft.
He was speaking to reporters after launching the Islam Confucianism Dialogue at SPICE Convention Centre here.
Anwar said Zakaria and Pahang PKR member Ismail Duhladi could submit an appeal within two weeks.
"They can appeal to the disciplinary committee to review the sacking and I do not object it. That's their right," he said.
PKR secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, who was present, stressed that the sacking was done in accordance with recommendations from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
Saifuddin said the party received reports of the investigation as well as recommendations for action be taken against Zakaria in accordance with the party's code of ethics.
"The party received a report dated Oct 23 from MACC containing statements by Zakaria and Ismail recorded during the investigation.
"MACC concluded in the letter that the action of both of them was an offence and proposed that the party take action," said Saifuddin.
"Initially, we thought we were just performing our responsibility as suggested by the highest authority in investigating corruption cases in the country.
"This is the first time in 20 years that the highest authority has sent us such a letter," he said.
– ANN