KUCHING, Jan 22: Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Sarawak leadership council (MPN) stands by the party’s information chief Desmond Kho’s recent statement in support of vice president Zuraida Kamaruddin.
Explaining their stand, deputy chairman Baharuddin Mokhsen said it was naturally understood that Kho’s statement was collective and represented the majority consensus of MPN.
“There are 47 members in the MPN. Thirty are division chiefs, five are automatic members by virtue of them being elected representatives and top leaders of their respective wings while 12 are appointed members.
“Of the 47 members of the MPN, perhaps only 13 may not support the chairman Baru Bian’s motion to support Zuraida if put to a vote. These 13 include only two MPs. Only a minority of 13 MPN members would oppose and they are clearly in the minority. Less than a third of the full MPN,” Baharuddin said in a statement.
As for divisional level, its respective chiefs had the option to support anyone they wished as MPN did not have the authority to stifle anyone’s right to freedom of association.
Therefore, Baharuddin opined that Kho’s statement stands and those issuing statements claiming otherwise had failed to understand the democratic principle of consensus or chose to ignore this paramount principle.
He also asserted that one divisional chief claimed that 19 of them signed a Statutory Declaration supporting Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as the president and future prime minister.
“No one disputes this in the Sarawak MPN. In fact, all MPN members support the president and his future ascension to the premiership. MPN also supports the deputy president and all the vice presidents, so let this be crystal clear.
On the matter of MPN Sarawak chairmanship, Baharuddin said 21 divisional chiefs had indicated their support for Baru to continue leading the MPN and Sarawak.
“As we are facing an impending state election, it would be in no one’s interest to cause interruption to the status quo. Twenty one divisional chiefs is a clear majority of more than two-thirds of divisional chiefs in Sarawak.
“Only a remaining nine divisional chiefs were on a misguided frenzy to call for a vote of no confidence against Baru.
“Going down this road of playing with numbers to remove an MPN chairman means creating a precedent that would trigger similar votes in other states, and this would throw the entire party into turmoil as not all state chiefs in Malaysia enjoy the majority support of their respective state divisional chiefs,” Baharuddin said. —DayakDaily
