Mutiny in Penang PKR?
Athi Shankar, Free Malaysia Today
Penang PKR Chairman Mansor Othman may be facing a mutiny. Seven of the 13 party divisions in the state are seeking to install former Balik Pulau MP Yusmadi Yusoff in his place.
Sources say the heads of the seven divisions would soon meet party president Wan Azizah Ismail to propose that Mansor be kicked out and replaced by Yusmadi.
The seven are Ng Chek Siang (Tanjung division), Abdul Halim Hussain (Balik Pulau), Ahmad Farid Md Arshad (Bagan), Amir Ghazali (Permatang Pauh), Zaini Awang (Kepala Batas), Che Hassan Jab (Tasek Gelugor) and Shahul Hameed Mohd Ishack (Jelutong).
The disgruntled leaders have been complaining that Mansor, who was appointed chairman in 2010, had gone against the party constitution to form a political bureau to consolidate his power.
Mansor is alleged to have deliberately given prominence to the political bureau over the constitutionally established state leadership council (MPN), using the bureau to bulldoze political decisions with the support of his cronies.
“Penang PKR is crippled with factionalism and cronyism,” said an insider.
“The leadership council should be the main decision making body for the state PKR as per the constitution. But instead, Mansor deliberately isolates the council and uses the bureau to make all decisions. It’s a deliberate usurpation of power.
“How can Penang PKR continue to have a chairman who breaches the party constitution at will?”
