Two Selangor PKR leaders today claimed that a supposedly "pro-Azmin" statement that was delivered at the party's press conference yesterday was not fake, as initially assumed.

 

State party secretary Amirudin Saari and its information chief Shuhaimi Shafei instead said that the distributed statement was actually agreed upon by the Selangor PKR in a meeting prior to the press conference.

 

They said the distributed statement, which suggests that Selangor PKR chief Azmin Ali be considered for the menteri besar, was the one that was supposed to be read out by his deputy Zuraida Kamaruddin ( left ).

 

The distributed statement came from "PKR Selangor leadership council", and had asked for two names - deputy president Azmin and party president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail - to be submitted as PKR's MB candidates.

 

It argued that Azmin was the most experienced state assemblyperson in PKR and thus should be given due consideration.

 

However, Zuraida read out a completely different statement, in which she claimed that 12 out of 14 PKR assemblypersons (with exception of Khalid and Azmin), 18 division chiefs, and six parliamentarians in the state, support the nomination of Wan Azizah.

 

But the 'pro-Azmin' statement was delivered right after the press conference, causing confusion.

 

"That did not come from us. Our official statement was as per the press conference just now," Zuraida said when surrounded by the press.

 

Both Shuhaimi and Amirudin were not present at the press conference.

 

Overtures made

Since the conclusion of the last general elections, Azmin had made overtures to become MB replacing Khalid, though Khalid was eventually re-appointed as MB.

 

This was about six months before the ‘Kajang move’ was announced, which was an attempt to enable party de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim himself to become the menteri besar.

 

Malaysiakini understands that those who are loyal to Azmin, who is still harbouring hopes of becoming MB, are now facing pressure to support Wan Azizah ( right ).

 

Zuraida and former Selangor executive council member Dr Xavier Jeyakumar are both seen to be strong backers of Azmin in the state.

 

Shuhaimi and Amirudin though are seen to be still loyal to Azmin despite the pressure. They names too were listed as the assemblypersons who had supported Wan Azizah's nomination.

 

Amirudin, who is contesting to be the party youth chief, said on Twitter that he did not support the statement issued by Zuraida yesterday.

 

Malaysiakini is currently seeking Zuraida's response as to whether the "pro-Azmin" statement was indeed discussed and finalised at the state PKR meeting.

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