Azmin’s trusted man had secret meetings with Gerakan to plan escape route?

(FMT) – Talks of PKR’s Mohamed Azmin Ali joining Gerakan may not be far fetched after all, after it emerged that a meeting took place between a PKR leader and Gerakan leaders last month, days after the shocking confession linked to gay sex videos targeting the economic affairs minister.

FMT can now confirm based on conversations with a source close to the PKR leadership that the leader, a veteran in the party who has been active since the reformasi days, had held talks with Gerakan leaders on the possibility of joining the former Barisan Nasional partner.

“These talks had gone on for a month,” said the source.

“It is an escape plan. They were expecting things to get worse.”

The source was referring to the recent war of words between Azmin and party chief Anwar Ibrahim, after the latter suggested that he quit his cabinet post if it was true he featured in the gay sex videos viralled early last month.

Utusan Malaysia reported this week that Azmin is likely to join Gerakan, one of several BN parties which quit the former ruling coalition in the wake of its historic defeat last year.

The source confirmed the report, saying Gerakan was a fitting place for Azmin and friends to land “if they are forced to parachute to safer grounds”.

“After all, Gerakan’s constitution as far as membership is concerned is similar to PKR: it is multiracial and it calls for fair treatment,” the source told FMT.

Asked whether PPBM was also considered in the exit plan, the source said the Malay party was not much different from PKR when it comes to infighting.

“In contrast, the fact that Gerakan has not won a single seat means it is still an oasis for politicians,” he added.

He added that the talks with Gerakan centred around how the entry of “at least a dozen MPs” from PKR would benefit the party.

At its peak, Gerakan, formed in 1968, ruled Penang and enjoyed strong support in Perak.

It failed to make any inroads after losing Penang to DAP in 2008, and in the last elections, failed to gain a single seat.