It appears that the fissures in PKR are widening, with Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim set to challenge Azmin Ali for the party deputy president post.

Khalid confirmed his candidacy at a dinner with PKR grassroots leaders tonight but urged his supporters not to begin campaigning for him until after the Kajang by-election.

 

“I have a request, although I am going to announce my intention, but make sure the party affair will not go beyond the Kajang by-election.

“I won’t show that I prioritise myself more than the party as our party struggle is always our common struggle.

“After that, I will offer myself to contest deputy president post in the party election,” Khalid said at his official residence as some 250 supporters, mostly comprising of Selangor PKR grassroots leaders, cheered.

Khalid is election director for the Kajang by-election.

'Big guns absent'

Notably though, there were no top PKR leaders present at the dinner tonight except for some familiar party faces.

Among those present former PKR vice-president candidate Mustafa Kamil Ayub, former Malaysian Trades Union Congress president Syed Shahir Syed Mohamud, constitutional lawyer Abdul Aziz Bari and Negri Sembilan PKR Youth chief Mohd Nazree Mohd Yunus.

Malaysiakini understands at least 11 Selangor PKR division chiefs, 16 Perak PKR division chiefs and five Negri Sembilan PKR chiefs were among those present.

The announcement came just hours after Khalid downplayed the significance of the meeting tonight.

Khalid, who was on his way to the gathering, had told journalists at the state secretariat building that the meeting was only to prepare for the Kajang by-election and denied any announcements in the offing.

Earlier today, Khalid's office had confirmed rumours of Khalid’s candidacy after a dinner invitation to declare his intent was circulated among party members.

"Yes, it's true. The MB will offer himself to contest the deputy president's post," Khalid's political secretary Azman Abidin told Malaysiakini .

The official invitation for tonight's event 'Majlis Kasih Bertaut' did not mention anything about Khalid's impending announcement.

However, there was an "unofficial invitation" circulating among party leaders, which states that the menteri besar will reveal that he is prepared to do battle for the number two slot.

Gombak MP has no comment

It is an open secret that Khalid and Azmin, the latter considered PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim's blue-eyed boy, have always been at loggerheads.

Azmin could not be reached, although his aide has informed Malaysiakini that the Gombak MP has no comment.

Asked whether Azmin (right) will defend his post, his aide said: "We will announce it later."

During an interview with Malaysiakini after he had announced Anwar's candidacy for the Kajang by-election, Khalid had remarked that he plans to invest more time on "politicking".

Contesting the post indicates that Khalid is not going anywhere, despite the Kajang by-election being widely viewed as a means to pave the way for Anwar to enter the state assembly and oust Khalid as MB.