PKR issues show cause letter to Zuraida
There have been calls from PKR members for the vice-president to be sacked for insulting the party and revealing private conversations between her and party chief Anwar Ibrahim.
PETALING JAYA: PKR has issued vice-president Zuraida Kamaruddin a show cause letter, believed to be over controversial remarks she made at an event after the fractuous party national congress in Melaka in December.
PKR secretary general Saifuddin Nasution said Zuraida was issued the show cause letter yesterday.
But he could not reveal what offences Zuraida had allegedly committed as he was not privy to the disciplinary board’s investigations.
“She has been given 14 days to explain before the disciplinary board makes a decision,” Saifuddin said after a party central leadership council (MPP) meeting at the PKR headquarters here today.
Previously, a PKR official, who declined to be named, told FMT that pressure was mounting within the party for the Ampang MP to be sacked over her speech at a dinner in December.
Zuraida, a staunch ally of deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali, had been accused of insulting party members and publicly disclosing details of a private conversation with party president Anwar Ibrahim.
The dinner was organised by Azmin shortly after those aligned to his faction boycotted the final day of the national congress.
Zuraida, who is the housing and local government minister, had claimed then that Anwar had tried to convince her it was Azmin in a sex video that went viral in June.
She also claimed that Anwar’s judgment seemed to have been affected by the influence of the “novice” and “mafia” in the party, which were seen as veiled attacks on PKR communications director Fahmi Fadzil and Perak PKR chief Farhash Wafa Salvador.
‘Anwar PKR’s candidate for prime minister’s post’
On the issue of the next prime minister, Saifuddin said the MPP reaffirmed its decision that Anwar was the party’s candidate for the post.
Under an agreement struck by Pakatan Harapan before the 14th general election, Dr Mahathir Mohamad is supposed to hand over power to Anwar, though no date had been set.
“The transition must be orderly and peaceful and the best platform for this to be discussed is the PH Presidential Council,” he said.
He said PKR was represented in the council by Anwar, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Azmin, Tian Chua, Dr Xavier Jayakumar and himself.
“The six must uphold the party’s decision in this matter,” he said, adding that “they cannot bring their own views”.
He said PKR did not impose a timeline for the transition and its comments on the transition date were in response to Mahathir’s own remarks that he was looking to stay on for two to three years.
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Saifuddin also announced that Deputy Health Minister Dr Lee Boon Chye has been appointed to the MPP and that Bayan Baru MP Sim Tze Tzin has been appointed the party’s new strategic director.