Badrul Hisham: I have no confidence in PKR leaders

By Minderjeet Kaur, NST

Port Klang assemblyman Badrul Hisham Abdullah quit Parti Keadlian Rakyat with immediate effect yesterday, saying he had lost confidence in the party’s leadership.

He will remain an independent assemblyman and support Barisan Nasional.

Speaking at a news conference here to announce his decision, Badrul Hisham said he wanted to distance himself from opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is plagued with sodomy charges.

He added that he was also unhappy over financial matters, after funds for his constituency were cut last March by the party.

The 49-year-old first-term assemblyman said he was not threatened or coerced to quit PKR or to support BN.

Rather, it was a decision based on his moral and religious principles as a Muslim, he said.

“PKR cannot make me resign from that post. I am elected by the public,” he said in response to Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim’s call earlier yesterday that he resign as assemblyman in view of his poor performance as a state assemblyman.

Badrul Hisham, who was accompanied by his wife Ramizah Mazlan, said he would continue serving the voters in his constituency without the disturbance of the PKR leadership.

Asked whether he would join any party, he said he had not thought about it.

“I want to serve the people, especially those who voted for me as Port Klang assemblyman.”

Badrul Hisham took to task the Selangor government, saying that his constituency was being sidelined in the distribution of funds, making it difficult for him to carry out his duties.

He said the move by the state government to set up a people’s service coordination centre in the Port Klang constituency and get other assemblyman to manage it was an act of ignoring the assemblyman for the area.

On Khalid’s suggestion that he seek psychiatric treatment as he was once involved in an accident, Badrul Hisham described such a suggestion as damaging to him and his family.

He also refuted the menteri besar’s statement that he did not provide an answer to a show-cause letter issued to him.

He said copies of the letter, dated Aug 28, 2009 were received by the offices of the menteri besar and PKR secretary-general on Sept 2.