The Malaysian Insight

PKR members are not looking kindly at Mohamed Azmin Ali’s attitude towards his own party and its leadership after he snubbed its three-day retreat in Port Dickson last week.

Grassroots members told The Malaysian Insight the PKR deputy president should have used the event as a platform to voice out his grouses on issues with which he was unhappy.

Tambun PKR head Muhamad Arafat Varisai Mahamad said Azmin’s absence will only put his image in a negative light.

“His absence is not going to affect PKR but Azmin himself. The party has its internal issues but it is important to come together when there are such programmes.

“If there is discontent over certain things at the leadership level, it can be expressed. 

“The party gave you the best platform possible to express your grouses but you didn’t show up. 

“Members will judge whether you can give and take and if you are big-hearted or not. If you don’t have these traits, how can you be a leader?” said Arafat.

PKR had earlier said it would cancel the retreat because of the internal conflicts affecting the party but instead review the party’s performance in the last year.

The Malaysian Insight also learnt that the closed-door event saw leaders urging the party to return to its  reform agenda and to ensure that changes are made for the people.

Arafat said the objectives of the retreat have been achieved.

“The objectives of the PKR retreat have been achieved. We have listened to all reminders, advice and grouses from party leaders. What PKR is undergoing is not a crisis as we have faced bigger challenges before the general election last year.

“Problems arise when leaders stray away from the party’s agenda which is ‘reformasi’. There are some who have forgotten and have been reminded of this through this retreat.”

On that note, he said, PKR members and leaders who have strayed from the reformasi agenda should quit the party.

Sabah PKR youth chief Raymond Ahuar said he does not see Azmin’s absence as an issue nor could it cause a rift in the party.

There were only 20 absentees, including Azmin, vice-presidents Zuraida Kamaruddin and Ali Biju.

“I don’t see the effects because more than 120 leaders showed up to throw support to Anwar Ibrahim as the president. A few proposals and ideas were mooted during the three-day retreat and an understanding was formed to strengthen PKR.

“There were a few leaders, such as vice president Dr. Xavier Jayakumar and Tian Chua, who were also present,” he said referring those who had supported Azmin earlier.

The retreat ended with some 120 senior party leaders pledging their support for Anwar’s leadership.

Permatang Pauh PKR women’s wing chief, Norlela Ariffin, said the absence of a few senior leaders was not an issue.

“The retreat’s objective was to rejuvenate the spirit of reformasi and those who were not present have fought for the cause.

“We can’t forget Azmin and Zuraida’s fight for the cause in the last 20 years. Even though they were absent from the retreat, they have fought a lot for the party.

“We can’t disregard their contributions just because of their absence at the retreat,” said the Penanti assemblyman.

However, she reminded members and leaders not to get too engrossed in the internal turmoil.

“Twenty years ago, we were tested with defeat but now we are being tested by victory. Let’s not forget the main agenda of reformasi, just because we have won the elections,” she said.

The tiff between Anwar and Azmin became apparent after the latter decided to snub the event despite being scheduled to deliver a speech on Saturday in his capacity as the deputy president.

Anwar, who is the Port Dickson MP, said he had expected Azmin’s absence, but added that he will work with his deputy as a team.

The retreat was held at a time where cracks within the party became apparent after the top two leaders’ public spat over an alleged gay sex video involving Azmin.

Azmin vehemently denied the allegations after a former PKR member Haziq Abdullah Abdul Aziz claimed that Azmin, who is also the economics affairs minister, was his partner in the lewd video that went viral.

Azmin said the allegations are intended to destroy his political career. – July 23, 2019.