Jeffrey says Sabah PKR facing crisis
(Daily Express) – Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Sabah is heading to a crisis as two factions led by Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan and Ansari Abdullah are arguing about the party’s top leadership’s decision to appoint Selangor Exco member Azmin Ali as the Sabah PKR liaison chief.
Dr Jeffrey, who is a Vice President of PKR, maintained that the party top leadership must listen to the voices of the majority of the grassroots in making its decision.
“I’m just saying that the leadership must listen to the majority and the basis of the majority is based on the constitution É they don’t want to play politics,” he said when met at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA), Saturday.
He was on hand to welcome Datuk Zaid Ibrahim who arrived to attend a PKR-organised Hari Raya celebration at Tanjung Aru Plaza. However, Dr Jeffrey dodged the question when asked whether the view of the majority was to disagree with Azmin’s appointment, saying that a memorandum on the issue had been submitted to the party president “some time ago”.
When told that Ansari who is a PKR Supreme Council member had earlier in the day during a Press conference denied having any knowledge of the memorandum and that 15 PKR division chiefs in Sabah had disassociated themselves from the memorandum, Dr Jeffrey said:
“The memorandum was signed by 18 leaders out of the 23 active divisions (in Sabah). If he (Ansari) says there is no memorandum then somebody is lying”.
Meanwhile, Zaid said he was only taking leave from attending the PKR political bureau meetings but would continue to be involved in activities to strengthen the Pakatan Rakyat.
“I am only taking leave from the political bureau meeting (of PKR) but I am (still) doing other activities that are related to the Pakatan Rakyat É to strengthen the opposition I will continue,” he said.
“Surely, I don’t want to get involve in political decision of the party because it gives me more time to strengthen the Pakatan Rakyat,” he said.
He admitted that his visit to Sabah did not get the party leadership’s blessings.
“This is true,” he said, adding it was a decision made by PKR Advisor, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. “This is the decision of the political bureau. I’ll explain it later. Otherwise it will continue to go on,” he said.
