Sec-gen: PKR remains solid despite disciplinary action against some members
The series of disciplinary actions against PKR leaders and members aligned to former PKR president Azmin Ali will not affect the party, said PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
Saifuddin (above) said this is because the party has almost one million members since its inception two decades ago.
The series of disciplinary actions against PKR leaders and members aligned to former PKR president Azmin Ali will not affect the party, said PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
Saifuddin (above) said this is because the party has almost one million members since its inception two decades ago.
"I look at the history of the party which began in April 1999. Until now, the number of members is close to one million," he said in an interview with Chinese daily Kwong Wah.
PKR has remained strong although certain big names have left the party, he added.
"We sacked Khalid Ibrahim who was at that time the Selangor menteri besar.
"Did his termination weaken the party? It's proven that even after PKR sacked Khalid, the party remained solid in Selangor."
Saifuddin said other big names who had left the party, either by their own decision or were sacked, include Ezam Mohd Nor, Chandra Muzaffar, Marina Yusoff, and Zainur Zakaria.
"The latest were Azmin and Zuraida (Kamaruddin) because they betrayed the party," he said.
For the record, Ezam had submitted his membership application to rejoin the party while Azmin, Zuraida and several other former PKR MPs left the party to join Perikatan Nasional.
Saifuddin said the party had no choice but to sack members aligned with Azmin.
"Although they were given a chance, they chose to work with the sacked leader, so we had no choice (but to sack them)," he said.
PKR, meanwhile, continues to be chosen by the people, which Saifuddin said is evident from the number of membership applications.
On the possibility of the party’s vice-president Rafizi Ramli returning to politics, Saifuddin said the former Pandan MP is on leave throughout the year to focus on his company which specialises in artificial intelligence.
Commenting on another former PKR representative Dr Afif Bahardin (photo) who purportedly took with him several assemblypersons to meet Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, Saifuddin's advice to Afif is that "the Penang state government will remain strong."
"His effort will not work if the intention is to weaken the (state) government, because the state government will remain strong."
Afif, who is the Seberang Jaya assemblyperson, today quit PKR to join Bersatu. He is aligned with Azmin.
He will sit as a Bersatu representative when the Penang state assembly convenes in October.
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