Deputy prime minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail has stressed that her visit to Julau, Sarawak last Saturday was part of a long-planned schedule and had nothing to do with the PKR elections. 

Wan Azizah denied that her visit to Julau was meant to help the campaign of a certain “individual” who is contesting in the party elections. 

On the contrary, she said she was not involved at all in the party elections this time. 

"If it is following the schedule, it is after the elections, there is no issue," she said to reporters during her work visit to SK Tunas Bakti, Sungai Besi, today.

Also in attendance were Wangsa Maju MP Tan Yee Kew and Lembah Pantai MP Fahmi Fadzil.

Yesterday, PKR central committee member Latheefa Koya had questioned Wan Azizah's visit to Julau.

Latheefa (photo) had claimed that Wan Azizah had used government machinery during her visit to the area in her capacity as deputy prime minister as well as the minister for women, family and community development.

This is because, Latheefa said, Wan Azizah's visit to Julau included an announcement for an RM100,000 project for a road in that constituency.

Asked whether Latheefa's criticism was over concerns that she might be campaigning for Rafizi Ramli, who is contesting for deputy president, Wan Azizah insisted she was not involved in campaigning.

"I am not campaigning actually, I am not even contesting... actually (according to my schedule) I was supposed to come here after the party elections, but coincidentally (the party elections) were postponed," she explained.

As for the allocation for the road project in Julau, Wan Azizah said the area was special as it was a producer of high-quality black pepper.