Rafizi: I wanted Sivarasa for Sungai Buloh but was overruled by Anwar

PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli said he and the party’s candidate selection committee initially proposed for incumbent MP R Sivarasa to defend his Sungai Buloh seat in the 15th general election (GE15).

However, PKR president Anwar Ibrahim (above, right) had a different opinion.

“I can inform that there was a difference in opinion between the candidate selection committee, myself and the president.

“The committee and I suggested for Sivarasa to be maintained (in Sungai Buloh) but the party president had a different opinion and I respect his opinion and his discretion because the power to decide on candidates is in the hands of the president of any party,” Rafizi (above, left) said in a press conference at the PKR headquarters in Kuala Lumpur today.

PKR had previously announced it would field its deputy information chief R Ramanan in Sungai Buloh.

Ramanan was the MIC treasurer-general before this but stepped down in 2014 after the Kuala Lumpur High Cout instructed him to return RM5.5 million he obtained through fraud.

At the time, he reportedly said he was appealing the decision and was willing to pay the amount to the plaintiff.

In June 2014, Ramanan dropped his appeal against the judgement and entered a consent judgement with the plaintiff where he agreed to pay the RM5.5 million.

Decision is final

The announcement of Ramanan as the Sungai Buloh candidate prompted backlash from constituents, who urged for a different candidate or to retain Sivarasa, especially after Umno/BN announced Khairy Jamaluddin as their candidate for the constituency.

Rafizi said after considering the feedback they received, PKR has decided to continue with Ramanan as their Sungai Buloh candidate.

“We did have feedback to reconsider our candidate but I respect the decision of the president who felt it was better to maintain the candidate so that the ongoing campaign can continue,” he said.

As far as Rafizi is concerned, the internal process within the party in reviewing their candidates has been exhausted.

“I have to balance between trying to manage the feedback as well as the internal process, with the fact that the finality is with Anwar and he has made his view.

“I think we should move on as a party and focus on the overall picture of the campaign,” he said.

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