By Jaythaleela K
MIRI, Nov 20: The Sarawak Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Convention will be held as scheduled amid the controversies surrounding the event.
Miri PKR chief Dr Michael Teo Yu Keng said party president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will officiate at the event, where some 1,500 delegates are expected to attend its Youth convention this Saturday (Nov 23) at Pullman Hotel, Miri.
“We will proceed and carry out with what the president has said. The party president has the final authority and the state leadership council (MPN) will have to carry out the order.
“We will follow the party president,” Dr Teo, who is also Miri MP, told a press conference here today.
He was responding to recent media reports, where Sarawak PKR chief Baru Bian reiterated the decision of Sarawak MPN to cancel the convention, which arrived through a consensus of the majority MPN members and not just the sole opinion of the council.
“Our position remains unchanged. Contrary to what was stated by other national leaders, we wish to reiterate that the decision taken by MPN Sarawak to cancel the convention was and continues to be a majority decision,” the Selangau MP said in a press statement.
Baru pointed out that the MPN consisted of 46 members, out of which 32 members reached consensus to cancel the convention.
Sarawak’s PKR state leadership recently butted heads with the party’s top national leaders over PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali’s rescinded invitation to officiate the PKR National Youth Congress slated for Dec 6.
A statement on Nov 15, signed by Baru and seven others including national vice-president Ali Biju, said that unless “democracy is returned to the party”, the PKR Sarawak convention would be cancelled.
However, PKR National Convention director Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad refuted this, saying that the convention would go as planned.
On another note, Dr Teo said Sarawak convention will be used as a platform for PKR to launch its election machinery for the 12th state election due in 2021. — DayakDaily
