Saari Sungib admits advising Fakhrulrazi to join PKR

(Malaysiakini) – Amanah assemblyperson Saari Sungib has admitted to having advised Mohd Fakhrulrazi Mohd Mokhtar to join PKR to solidify support for Anwar Ibrahim as the ninth prime minister.

This came a week after Amanah confirmed that the Meru assemblyperson had left the party to join PKR amid speculations that the latter had joined PKR in September under the Petaling Jaya division.

Fakhrulrazi, however, remained tight-lipped on joining PKR and insisted that it was Amanah’s decision to remove him.

Saari said several weeks ago, Fakhrulrazi had met him to seek advice on whether he should join PKR.

He said he had explained to Fakhrulrazi that the party grassroots and the public see Amanah leadership as leaning its support towards Dr Mahathir Mohamad instead of the PKR president.

For the record, Amanah vice-president Mujahid Yusof Rawa had rubbished claims concerning the support for Anwar and stressed that Fakhrulrazi’s defection had nothing to do with speculations on Amanah’s declining faith in Anwar.

To revive the grassroots support, Saari said the party has to focus on strengthening its agenda to put Anwar as the next prime minister.

“I believe the effort to put Anwar’s image as the prime minister who can bring a meaningful change to the people can become a reality.

“I am confident that this can be achieved with the assistance from component parties within Pakatan Harapan as well as efforts from within PKR itself.

“Hence, I suggested to him (Fakhrulrazi) to join PKR with this objective in mind,” he said.

However, Saari said he had reminded Fakhrulrazi to meet Amanah president Mohamad Sabu to relay his intention to join PKR.

When contacted, Fakhrulrazi confirmed that he had met Saari several weeks ago to discuss on him quitting Amanah.

Meanwhile, Saari told Malaysiakini that he will issue a statement to further explain his suggestion to Fakhrulrazi.

Sources within Amanah had told Malaysiakini that while the party leadership remained committed to Anwar’s leadership, it held its door open to Mahathir.

Mohamad was in the spotlight after he was said to have met Mahathir and Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah last month to discuss a unity government.

Saari, who is Hulu Kelang assemblyperson, is among those in Amanah who was speculated to join PKR but he had dismissed the speculation.

Others in Amanah who were speculated to join PKR were Morib assemblyperson Hasnul Baharuddin and Amanah vice-president Husam Musa. Both had refuted the speculations.

Before Fakhrulrazi, Sabak assemblyperson Ahmad Mustain Othman had left Amanah and joined PKR.