Dr Wan Azizah is now party spokesman

(THE STAR) – PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail is now party spokesman while Azmin Ali and Tian Chua have been redesignated.

These are among the changes made by party adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ib­­ra­­him to re-emphasise the party’s cause, improve weaknesses, clean up the machinery and increase their ser­­vice to the people.

Anwar said that Dr Wan Azizah would now be responsible for monito­ring media coverage and providing im­­­mediate comments on issues raised.

“It is felt that her presence should be given more prominence,” he said in his blog posting yesterday.

Azmin and Chua were previously elec­tion campaign director and information chief respectively.

The decision was made during the par­­ty’s monthly leadership meeting yesterday, he said.

PKR vice-president Azmin will head a task force comprising all vice-presidents and the Youth and Wanita chiefs while Chua is strategic director.

Chua’s post has been given to lawyer and activist Latheefa Koya while another young leader, Johnson Chong, has, been appointed communications head.

Saifuddin Nasution, who was the strategic director, will take over Az­­min’s position.

The task force under Azmin has been set up to strengthen the party’s leadership at the state and division levels.

Meanwhile, in a statement yesterday, PKR deputy president Dr Syed Husin said 16 members had been expelled for committing various of­­fences during the recent by-elections in Bukit Selambau and Batang Ai.

The offences included contesting against the party’s candidate, supporting an opponents, criticising the party. Among those sacked were S. Mo­­ganakumar and A. Jayagopal who contested in Bukit Selambau.