KUCHING, Jan 21: Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Sarawak information chief Desmond Kho has urged the party disciplinary committee to retract the show-cause letter against vice president Zuraida Kamaruddin.
Throwing support behind Zuraida, Kho said members in the state noted with alarm that the PKR disciplinary committee had convened to issue a show cause letter to Zuraida for her purported comments made during a speech at a “Shared Prosperity Vision” function on December 8 last year in Kuala Lumpur.
“It is without doubt that the disciplinary committee has the power to issue such a show cause letter, but it is reminded that with great power comes great responsibility,” Kho said in a statement.
As Pakatan Harapan (PH) Wanita chief, Zuraida was labeled a stalwart and an Iron Lady in PKR’s political struggle, and she has made PKR wanita wing and PKR itself the force that it is today.
“Throughout PKR’s years in the wilderness, especially when party president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was in jail, Zuraida was a pillar of strength and support for all members. During the formative years, she would be a perennial presence in the many electoral campaigns throughout the country and never failed to render assistance whenever she was needed.
“Our wanita comrades recall fondly of working with her through the wee hours of the day and putting up with the most basic of accommodation in remote areas with her, they did so willingly because she would never ask of them what she could not do,” Kho asserted.
Kho added that Zuraida was the first federal minister to land in Sarawak following the change in government.
To date, she remains one of the federal ministers who has regularly visited Sarawak to attend to the needs of the state.
Kho, who strongly stands behind Zuraida, said the latter has never been known to falter from a challenge, being very vocal in Malaysia’s ‘Cowgate’ which resulted in legal challenges but stood her ground and was proven right eventually.
“Hence, this show cause letter intending to stifle her is not popular and seen as outright censorship amongst the party faithful and grassroots alike. This will not augur well amongst right thinking people, and therefore we call for the party leadership to rescind this action and retract the disciplinary committee’s letter forthwith without any conditions to avoid any unnecessary negative view of the party in the public sphere,” Kho added.
Although it was no secret that Zuraida had always been supportive of Datuk Seri Azmin Ali, Kho lamented that such a misconceived action against her by the disciplinary committee may be misconstrued as a continuation of internal party strife.
He also warned that the recent results in the Kimanis by-election and other elections were clear messages from the electorate, that the party bickering must stop.
“This goes directly against the wishes of Anwar who has stated in no uncertain terms, that ‘the public is bored’ with the politicking within the party,” Kho said. —DayakDaily
