Wan Azizah backs Chua

But the PKR president also reiterates a gag order on the quarrel in Johor. 

G Vinod, FMT

PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail today threw her support behind party vice president Chua Jui Meng in his spat with the Johor DAP leadership.

In a statement coming two days after the top guns of both parties had ordered a gag order over the issue, she said PKR would continue to place its trust and confidence in Chua to lead the party’s Johor chapter.

Disagreements between the two parties broke into the news recently when Johor DAP chief Dr Boo Cheng Hau accused Chua of masterminding an underground campaign against his party.

DAP chairman Karpal Singh backed Boo’s allegation and called for an investigation.

On Tuesday, however, both DAP secretary general Lim Guan Eng and PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim brokered a truce and ordered the members of their parties to stop discussing the quarrel in public.

Wan Azizah said Chua had made “immense” contributions to Johor PKR’s political development since he joined the party in 2009 and should be given the opportunity to continue to work for change in the state.

However, she expressed support for the gag order, saying disagreements between Pakatan Rakyat parties “should be resolved internally, as advised by DAP secretary general Lim Guan Eng”.

She said PKR, PAS and DAP had made “major inroads in the Johor political landscape and we have established a common understanding on the big issues. Negative media statements do not help and can be exploited by our opponents.”