Malaysia: Trouble in PKR over Anwar's leadership picks

December 29, 2018
Posted by: admin
Category: Daily News

No Comments

TROUBLE is brewing in PKR over the president’s recent leadership appointments, which his deputy said must follow “fair and just representation”. Deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali said the selection did not reflect the members’ aspirations and would not help the party move forward.
He called on Anwar Ibrahim to review the appointments to the central leadership council (MPP) and said he felt it should have taken the grassroots’ views into account.
Rafizi Ramli, defeated in the race to become PKR deputy president, had been appointed as one of PKR’s vice-presidents. Apart from Rafizi, Tanjung Malim MP Chang Lih Kang and Saratok MP Ali Biju have also been appointed as vice-presidents.
Ali will represent the interests of Sabah and Sarawak in the party’s central leadership council (MPP). The appointments were announced by PKR president Anwar Ibrahim after a MPP meeting on 28 Dec 18.
Anwar defended his top PKR party appointments, saying he wanted to be inclusive after the party’s messy and divisive elections recently.
The party president said nominees for the vice-presidency and other posts were discussed and agreed collectively at the leadership council meeting on 28 Dec 18 despite deputy president Azmin Ali’s objections.
Anwar said while criticism was welcome, he advised his deputy to set an example by channeling his complaints through the correct channels.
THE appointment of former Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli as PKR vice-president is the party president’s prerogative, said Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
The PKR advisory council chairman said Rafizi also received many votes during the recent party election. “It is the prerogative of the president to choose who he wants, and Rafizi received many votes during the contest,” she said.
Sources told The Malaysian Insight that the PKR central leadership council (MPP) meeting that decided on the appointment of its members was held without the presence of many of its senior leaders, including deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali.
This was why Azmin protested the decisions made by party president Anwar Ibrahim when the latter pushed through the appointments.
Azmin did not attend the meeting chaired by Anwar – neither did three vice-presidents seen to be close to the deputy president. Another vice-president – Nurul Izzah Anwar – had recently resigned.
The absent leaders are purportedly close to Azmin, and supported the deputy president when he was challenged by Rafizi Ramli during the recent party elections.
The Malaysian Insight learnt that only three leaders from Azmin’s camp were present at the MPP meeting. According to the source, the meeting had been held in a hurry.
Another source said Anwar had hastily called for the meeting to ensure minimal protest against those he wanted to appoint, including Rafizi as vice-president.