Azmin says he’s not involved in plot to keep Anwar from PM’s post

(The Star) – PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali rubbished allegations that voting for him in the upcoming party polls equals to voting against Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to become the Prime Minister.

“It is a just party election. It has nothing to do with the government post,” said Azmin, who is also the Economic Affairs Minister.

“It is a normal process that you have to go through,” he told reporters at the Parliament lobby on Thursday (Aug 16).

He was responding to allegations made by his detractors in the opposing camp who had accused him and others of being involved in a plot to stop the PKR president-elect from becoming the next prime minister.

On Tuesday, it was reported that Kapar MP Datuk Abdullah Sani Abdul Hamid had accused Azmin and Council of Eminent Persons chief Tun Daim Zainuddin as being among individuals conspiring to prevent Anwar from becoming PM.

In response, outgoing PKR Wanita chief Zuraida Kamaruddin asked Abdullah to apologise for his statement.

But the Kapar MP alleged that Zuraida’s supporters had threatened to “punch and strip” his wife Datin Faezah Ariffin naked.

The threat, he said, had been sent by a PKR member to his wife through a WhatsApp message on Monday (Aug 13) afternoon.

Faezah, who is contesting the deputy’s post in the women’s wing, was reported to have criticised Zuraida’s leadership.

Zuraida is contesting for a vice-president’s post in the PKR elections.

Azmin said whatever the outcome of the party polls, Anwar will still become the next Prime Minister.

“We certainly have a consensus among Pakatan Harapan coalition members, not only in PKR, that Anwar will be the next Prime Minister,” added Azmin.

Pressed to clarify the matter, Azmin said he was not in the position to comment on the allegations made by his opponents.

“My view is that PKR is the biggest bloc in Pakatan.

“We have been given the mandate to deliver back to the rakyat. We have to work very hard. Let us work together as a family,” he said.

On a separate matter, Azmin also turned down the debate invitation from PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli, saying that it was unnecessary to do so at this point.

“This is a party poll, not a presidential election where we need to get the involvement of the rakyat.

“I believe we can discuss internal party matters for the betterment of the party without debating.

“I believe we need to emerge stronger after the party election,” said Azmin.

Rafizi had earlier invited Azmin to a debate to clarify some issues.

More than 800,000 PKR members will be voting in the party polls, which will take place over the course of nine weeks, starting Sept 14.