Otai Reformasi chairman Idris Ahmad says Zuraida Kamaruddin clearly insulted the party’s president and several other leaders at the dinner.

PETALING JAYA:

Four groups of die-hard Anwar Ibrahim supporters have urged PKR to sack Mohamed Azmin Ali, Zuraida Kamaruddin and five other party leaders for insulting the PKR president.

Otai Reformasi 98 and three other groups — Jingga 13, Pertubuhan Solidariti Madani Malaysia (MaSSA) and Anak Reformasi — today presented a memorandum to Zara Zahari, the personal assistant of PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, calling for the seven leaders to be thrown out of the party because of their disobedience in organising Sunday’s controversial dinner and for insulting Anwar.

The tension between party president Anwar and his deputy, Azmin, reached boiling point at the PKR national congress in Melaka last weekend when violence broke out between some of their supporters.

Azmin and his camp, including PKR vice-president and Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida, then skipped the congress’ final day to organise a gathering of their own at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur.

Otai Reformasi 98 — a group which rallied to Anwar’s “reformasi” battle cry after his sacking by prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad in 1998 — wants disciplinary action to be taken against those who sabotaged the national congress in Melaka last week after walking out without any proper reason.

They said the incident had tarnished the reputation of the Pakatan Harapan government.

While the groups also want to see Selangor PKR chairman and Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari, PKR vice-president Tian Chua, PKR Wanita leader Haniza Talha, PKR Youth deputy chief Muhammad Hilman Idham and Permatang Pauh PKR deputy chief Afif Bahardin shown the door after featuring at the dinner, they are especially insistent that Zuraida be held accountable for her speech at the dinner.

“She clearly insulted the party’s president and several other leaders at the dinner,” said Otai Reformasi chairman Idris Ahmad.

“We want PKR to ask the prime minister to drop Zuraida as a Cabinet member because of her extreme rudeness and disobedience,” he added.

Questioning Anwar’s “sanity” and “intelligence” at the dinner, Zuraida claimed that the PKR president’s judgement was affected by the influence of “novice” and “mafia” members of the party.

“If they really want to sack us, Azmin and I are ready. We are willing to be sacrificed for PKR because we want to return it to the right track,” she had told the packed hall on Sunday.

Azmin, Amiruddin, Tian Chua, Haniza and Sivarasa Rasiah (who is deputy rural development minister) also delivered speeches at the event.

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Pro-Anwar groups call for sacking of Azmin, Zuraida from PKR

Otai Reformasi 98 and three other groups today presented a memorandum urging the party to sack the duo and five other PKR leaders for tarnishing the name of the party.