Cracks in Sabah PKR
(The Star) – A split in the Sabah PKR leadership is now out in the open following the appointment of party vice-president Azmin Ali as state liaison chief.
PKR vice-president Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan said 18 leaders of the party’s 23 active divisions in Sabah have signed a memorandum voicing their protest over Azmin’s leadership in the state.
The memorandum had been submitted to PKR adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim “some time ago,” he said yesterday.
“The issue is not whether his appointment is accepted, it is about certain decisions he made,” Dr Jefrey said when met at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport here to greet former cabinet minister and PKR member Datuk Zaid Ibrahim.
On leave: Zaid talking to reporters at a press conference at his house in Tropicana in Petaling Jaya Saturday. Dr Jeffrey said the decisions of state liaison leaders should be made after consultation with division chiefs and not be “shoved down the throats of division leaders.”
Earlier, Sabah PKR deputy state chief Datuk Dr Hamzah Amir dismissed reports of a rift among state party leaders following Azmin’s appointment as state chief.
Describing the matter as a “non-issue,” Dr Hamzah said 15 of the Sabah PKR division chiefs who purportedly signed the memorandum had disassociated themselves from the document.
There had been reports that more than half of the 25 Sabah PKR division leaders wanted Azmin replaced immediately with a local state leader as state party chief.
In the memorandum, the division leaders had proposed the names of three leaders, namely Dr Jeffrey, Dr Hamzah and Datuk Kong Hong Ming.
Meanwhile, Zaid said he would still be involved in other activities in the party despite his six-month leave from PKR political bureau meetings.
“I will continue with other party activities such as those strengthening the Opposition,” he said upon his arrival to attend a Hari Raya gathering organised by the Putatan PKR division yesterday.
To a question, he reaffirmed he had been asked by Anwar to skip yesterday’s event but decided to attend it anyway.
Zaid added that he would explain his reasons for ignoring Anwar’s request later.
In Kuala Lumpur, PKR strategy director Tian Chua said he was confident Zaid would continue to carry out duties assigned to him by the party.
He said knowing Zaid, he would continue to do work for the party.
Asked if it was true that Zaid took the leave following a disagreement with PKR vice-president Azmin Ali, Chua declined to comment.
