Azmin out of spotlight

(MM) – Azmin Ali has not been in the limelight for the past two weeks and his absence is becoming the talk of the town as Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) de facto chief Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim races around Kajang, canvassing for every single vote he can find.

Azmin — party deputy chief and also Selangor party chief — was expected to play a vital role in the campaign for the upcoming by-election but it has not been the case as Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim has been picked to be director of operations.

Azmin seems to have been side-lined or rather kept away from the campaign as Anwar whizzes around with other party leaders in meet-the-people sessions and events.

It was rumoured last week that Azmin would sue party organ Suara Keadilan over columnist Hishamuddin Rais’s comments that Azmin possessed the Umno mentality of “ketuanan Melayu”.

Since then, he has been silent as the party leaders pitch tents in Kajang and accompany Anwar to push his agenda.

The continuing silence has bred more rumours that Azmin’s position as the number two man in the party may be under threat in the party polls scheduled for end of April.

Already, the word is Khalid may contest against him, and that even Anwar’s daughter Nurul Izzah may join the race.

Khalid — who is under pressure to keep his job at any cost given that his own boss in the party is eyeing the position – is said to be standing his ground and is ready to go head-to-head with Azmin.

Sources close to Khalid said Azmin had been moving against Khalid for several years, but up to now all attempts had failed.

“It is a long story and Khalid has been on the defensive all this while, trying to keep things from becoming public but the Selangor Development Corporation (PKNS) matter exploded and the whole feud became public,” said one source.

Anwar, who said he is contesting the Kajang seat to end the feud between Khalid and Azmin, now seems to have another agenda — to dump Azmin.

Accompanying him in Kajang most of the time is party director of strategy Rafizi Ramli who party members claim is Anwar’s new blue-eyed boy.

In short, Azmin’s days are numbered, if the current scenario is to be the yardstick, and he may see his position taken over by end-April.