PKR vice-president Azmin Ali has quashed suggestions that he was perturbed by Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim being picked to lead the campaign in the upcoming Hulu Selangor by-election.

With only a week to go before nomination day on April 17, rumours are rife of discord between the two top Selangor PKR leaders over who should take charge of the party’s election campaign.

azmin ali pc in parliament 020709 02 It was reported that some key leaders within the party were leery of Khalid’s ability to head the campaign as the former corporate chieftain apparently lacks political skills.

However, when met at the launch of Pakatan Rakyat’s machinery in Hulu Selangor yesterday, Azmin ( left ) brushed aside speculations that he has a rocky relationship with Khalid.

“I was the one who suggested that the menteri besar should be the election director and it was a unanimous decision, both at the party’s supreme council as well as in the state government,” he told Malaysiakini .

Azmin however said that there were differences of opinion on when the campaign to defend Hulu Selangor should be launched.

pkr launch of hulu selangor machinery 090410 “We had our state (Selangor PKR) meeting last Friday and Khalid proposed that he should to take the lead only from April 17 (nomination day) onwards. I however insisted - and you can check with all the branch leaders - that Khalid should lead beginning now.

“He is wearing two hats, as menteri besar and as election director. Therefore, it is important for him to take charge from day one, and not after the nomination.”

Azmin revealed that he also proposed for Selangor PKR election director Abdullah Sani Abdul Hamid be Khalid’s deputy in the upcoming by-election.

“When Khalid takes charge, Abdullah should automatically become his deputy, while I would like to play the role of the election director at the grassroots level,” said Azmin.

‘Only one general’

After speaking to Malaysiakini on the sidelines of the launch event, Azmin was invited to the podium to give his speech, where he reiterated his stand, emphasising his amicable working relationship with Khalid.

“There is only one general in this by-election and that is Khalid Ibrahim,” said Azmin, drawing cheers from the 300 party workers present at Kuala Kubu Bharu last night.

PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim is likely to name the Pakatan candidate on April 13 in Serendah, two days before the announcement by rival BN.

More than 10 have been tipped to be PKR’s candidate in what is considered to be a crucial by-election for both sides.

NONE Among the top contenders for the candidacy are former law minister turned Pakatan coordinator Zaid Ibrahim ( left ), Malaysian Trade Union Congress president Syed Shahrir Syed Mohamud and Hulu Selangor division treasurer and neurosurgeon Dr Halili Rahmat.

Asked whether the election machinery will face problems with the eventual PKR candidate - the frontrunner being Zaid, another Azmin’s rival - the party vice-president said: “The candidate must work with the party. There are no two ways about it...

“He must respect the hierarchy of the party, the structure of the election machinery and be with the team,” he said.

Though Azmin did not mention any name, there has been accusations within the party circles that Zaid has the tendency of not being a team player.  

All three state seats under the constituency are BN bastions, and in the 2008 general election Pakatan’s Zainal Abidin Ahmad had won the seat by a razor-thin majority of 198 votes against MIC’s G Palanivel.