KUCHING, July 18: A group of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Central Committee members including Keadilan Members of Parliament (MPs) have today urged its president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to stop making divisive statements.
The group was responding to Anwar’s statement saying its deputy president, who is also Minister of Economic Affairs Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali should resign if he was conclusively identified as one of the two men in a recent viral sex video.
Led by its vice-presidents Zuraida Kamaruddin, Chua Tian Chang and Ali Biju, the group said: “We are of the view that this statement is inappropriate and is based on speculative assertions.
“He (Anwar) should be focusing on the key issue here, which is that there is an organised attempt to use gutter politics to bring down political leaders,” they added in a joint statement issued this morning.
They also emphasised that Anwar should be more concerned about the criminal offences committed by the responsible group who have systematically and widely distributed a video displaying sexual acts.
Noting Anwar’s initial views that Azmin need not resign from his position when the sex video first emerged, the group said Anwar as the party president should stand by his deputy in the interest of party unity and not seek to undermine him using speculation.
They also reminded Anwar that since Reformasi, the party has defended him against identical tactics using sex videos and other means of gutter politics even when the police chief in 2011 declared a sex video implicating him as genuine.
“He should remember that Azmin has defended him and his family for more than 20 years against the same type of gutter politics.”
“We will stand with Azmin and any other leaders who are attacked using such unethical methods,” they assured, while reiterating that the party must stand firm against such gutter politics.
The group also called upon Anwar to work to unite the party in the interest of its members, Pakatan Harapan and the country.
Other signatories of the statement include Haniza Talha, Dato Sri Dr Santhara, Amirudin Shari, Dato Rashid Hasnon, Sivarasa Rasiah, Rahimah Majid, Elizabeth Wong, Dato Saifuddin Abdullah, Zakaria Abdul Hamid, Mohd Radzlan Jalaludin, Dato Dr Mansor Othman, Dato Kamarudin Jaafar, Azmizam Zaman Huri, Gan Pei Nei, Hee Loy, Lee Kai Loon, Baru Bian, Dr Daroyah, Muhammad Hilman Idham, Steven Choong, Jonathan Yasin, Willy Mongin, and Maria Chin Abdullah.
Meanwhile, Anwar was reported to have said that although his initial views were that Azmin need not resign, recent developments in the investigations had to be taken into consideration.
“If the investigations are conclusive, then he needs to resign, but if we have not ascertained the truth of the two guys in the video then he (Azmin) has the option.
“It is subject to whether the police or the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission … have ascertained the veracity of the video. And if he is identified conclusively, then he needs to resign,” he addressed a press conference at the Parliament lobby on Wednesday (July 17). — DayakDaily
