PKR closes ranks to face BN in polls
By Yow Hong Chieh, The Malaysian Insider
PETALING JAYA, Dec 18 — PKR announced a new central leadership which the party says combines experience with new blood, amid mounting speculation of a snap election.
Some of those named were losing candidates in the party’s first-ever polls, which was seen as fractious and led to Datuk Zaid Ibrahim quitting to head another party.
“It’s so important to have new faces but we also base our criteria on experience,” PKR president Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail told reporters at the party headquarters here.
“With the new setup, we are hoping to face the next general election with more vigour, with more confidence, with a team that will then be accepted by the voters to see it as a new beginning.”
Saifuddin Nasution remains party secretary-general while former MCA vice president Datuk Chua Jui Meng, civil rights lawyer N. Surendran and Sarawak PKR chief Baru Bian were appointed vice presidents.
Badrul Hisham Shaharin, better known as Chegubard, has been given the deputy secretary-general post along with T. Kumar, Steven Choong and Ignatius Darell Leiking. Chegubard had said he was dissatisfied with the polls but vowed to remain in the party.
Dr Mohd Nor Manuty takes over from Latheefa Koya as information director and will be assisted by deputies Sim Tze Tzin, Animah Ferrar and Muthiah.
Lawyer Latheefa will head the new legal bureau formed to supervise cases involving those arrested for attending peaceful rallies and such, Wan Azizah said.
“This is just to create a more formal structure… Latheefa has been doing a good job so now the party is giving her support,” she explained.
Selangor PKR chief Azmin Ali replaces Fuziah Salleh as election director while Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad keeps his communications director post.
Rafizi Ramli takes over as strategic director and William Leong will continue serving as party treasurer.
Heading the disciplinary committee is former Gerakan man Datuk Dr Tan Kwee Kwong.
Dr Syed Husin Ali, Xavier Jayakumar, Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, Sivarasa Rasiah, Mustafa Kamil Ayub and Dr Tan Yew Kee were appointed to the political bureau.
