The Malaysian Insight

THE mixed signals from the PKR top leadership on the party’s stand on cooperating with PAS have left the grassroots confused, said Pakatan Harapan action committee chairman Yusuf Tapar.

Yusuf, who is also PKR’s Rembau division chief, announced that the group would initiate a push for the setting up of a special congress to decide on the issue, as the party’s indecisiveness had caused confusion in the election machinery nationwide.

He said PKR should work on enhancing relations with parties in the PH coalition in preparation for the 14th General Election, which must be called within the next year.

Under the party’s constitution, grassroots leaders must get the support of 73 of 218 divisions registered with the Registrar of Societies to get the PKR secretary-general to call for the congress.

“At the moment, 56 have agreed to join us, and we are confident that we will get another 20 soon to get the minimum number required as per the party constitution,” said Yusuf.

According to the party’s constitution, the secretary-general has to issue a notice for the special congress within 14 days of receiving an application for the congress.

PH action committee secretary Che Zam Hamzah said if the application was rejected, the committee itself had the right to call for the congress.

“We have never done this before. But, this is new politics and we are doing it based on democracy.”

Last week, PKR’s Selayang MP William Leong quit the party’s political bureau over PKR’s efforts to court PAS ahead of the general election.

Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli has also called for a special congress on the alleged PKR-PAS cooperation.

In a press statement yesterday, Rafizi said differences over the matter – whether to cooperate with PAS to maintain control of Selangor – had split PKR and confused its grassroots supporters.

“And, this confusion is affecting the party’s preparation for the 14th General Election,” he said in a statement today.

The Pakatan Rakyat coalition of PKR, DAP and PAS had captured Selangor in the 2008 general election.

Earlier today, Selangor Menteri Besar Mohamed Azmin Ali rejected Rafizi’s call for the issue to be decided by ordinary members.

The PKR deputy president also dismissed the former secretary-general’s views as a “personal sentiment” after Rafizi said Azmin’s actions were causing fissures in the party.

Speaking to a news portal, Azmin stressed that party members had shown support for PKR’s leaders through their votes in internal polls.

Azmin said this after signing three agreements for five-year post-closure maintenance works with Worldwide Holdings Berhad to manage three landfills in the state. – August 28, 2017.