PKR Youth deputy chief Dr Afif Bahardin said there was no need for PKR to hold a special congress to decide on cooperation with PAS during the 14th general election.

In a statement, Afif called party vice-president Rafizi Ramli's suggestion for such a congress, especially when the general election is just around the corner, the "height of absurdity."

“This effort is also endorsed by the imprisoned Anwar Ibrahim.

“Rafizi may not be aware of this since he has not attended political bureau meetings for a very long time now,” Afif added.

He was responding to a statement made by Rafizi, who said that a special congress was necessary to clear up confusion among the party’s grassroots, who may be split over the decision to hold discussions with PAS.

Calling Rafizi’s claim that the negotiations with PAS are the decision of a faction led by Selangor Menteri Besar Azmin Ali as “wildly inaccurate,” Afif insisted that the decision was instead made by PKR’s political bureau, chaired by party president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

He also took to task “insinuations and deliberate ambiguities” in Rafizi’s statement that suggested PAS would join the Pakatan Harapan coalition, maintaining that negotiations were only to increase the opposition’s chances of winning GE14.

“The negotiations are solely to prevent three-cornered contests during the general election and increase the chances of winnability for Keadilan and the opposition parties,” Afif said.

He added that Rafizi should instead have suggested that a central leadership council meeting be called on the matter. 

Earlier today, a group of PKR grassroots leaders called for a special congress to discuss the party's ties with PAS.

The group, calling itself the ‘Harapan Pakatan’ (Hope of Pakatan) action task force, claims that mixed signals from party leaders over the PAS talks have caused rifts among PKR's allies in Harapan.

The dalliance with PAS remains contentious, with Kelantan PKR Youth chief Dr Hafidz Rizal Amran being “removed” from his post today, following a petition from state division Youth chiefs for his ouster.

Hafidz reportedly advocated a continued PKR-PAS collaboration, despite PAS having formally severed ties with the party last May.