Don’t compare Anwar’s ‘PD Move’ to ‘Kajang Move’, says PKR deputy branch chief

The ‘Kajang Move’ was to make Anwar the Chief Minister while the ‘PD Move’ is to make him the Prime Minister

(MMO) – Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s bid to return to Parliament by running in the newly vacated Port Dickson seat should not be seen in the same light as the party’s 2014 “Kajang Move”, a PKR grassroot leader said today.

Telok Kemang PKR deputy branch chief Rosman Jonet insisted that the move is to enable the party’s president-elect to transition properly as the next in line to be prime minister.

“Let me clarify that this is not the same with Kajang Move or Port Dickson Move as claimed.

“The move is in line with Anwar’s effort to realise Parliament institutional reforms and Insyallah we will have a PM from Negri Sembilan,” he said during a press conference at the Royale Chulan Seremban here.

When asked about Anwar being a parachute candidate, Rosman said that was not an issue as he was the party’s president and it’s only a matter of time before he returned to Parliament.

Rosman said the party’s central leadership’s decision to field Anwar in Port Dickson will not be disputed and has received the full support of grassroots members here.

“We at the branch level stand by the decisions made by the central leadership and we will execute a plan to ensure Anwar’s victory,” he said.

Rosman said grassroot members were confident of another electoral victory, but were wary of facing an upset if there was to be low voter turnout as seen in the last three by-elections held since May 9.

“We do not have a specific voter turnout target in mind but we want to maximise the number of people voting and maintain our majority as the previous polls.

“Even after the conclusion of the 14th General Election, we have always been prepared and now we have to work as a team to ensure people come out to vote when the time comes,” he said.

Incumbent Port Dickson MP Datuk Danyal Balagopal Abdullah, from PKR, announced his resignation yesterday, saying he was relinquishing his seat so that Anwar could be elected back to Parliament.

This is the third time that a by-election has been intentionally triggered for Anwar to contest, including the Kajang Move that went awry.

Danyal won the seat by a majority of 17,710 in a three-dimensional fight between Barisan Nasional and PAS in the May polls.