SHAH ALAM: PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Azmin Ali is puzzled as to why he is being singled out for not attending the party’s central leadership council meeting on Sunday.
The Economic Affairs Minister explained that he was unable to attend the Pakatan Harapan component party’s meeting as he was committed to a prior government responsibility.
“There are quite a number of senior leaders in PKR who hold positions in the government. I would have attended a party programme, if I did not have official duties.
“If there are (official duties), I will inform. It is a normal process. Don’t pick on me,” said Azmin.
The Economic Affairs minister, reasoned that he would have been present at the council meeting if there were no official government duties.
“I have responsibility towards the government as well as the party. The mandate must be shouldered together. Sometimes, we have official government duties to be carried out and that is our responsibility.
“We also have responsibilities towards our party and that we must honour that too, and do it both,” he said Azmin.
The Bukit Antarabangsa state assemblyman said this along the sidelines of the Selangor state legislative assembly sitting today.
The PKR No. 2 was reportedly missing from the council meeting held at PKR headquarters in Petaling Jaya on Sunday.
Azmin had also been absent from several PKR meetings in the past few months, including the party’s retreat in Port Dickson from July 19 to 21.
PKR communications director Fahmi Fadzil was quoted as saying that party secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail had issued a stern verbal reminder to PKR leaders not to skip the party’s meetings and activities in the future.
The other leaders said to have given the senior party leaders meeting on Sunday a miss were party vice-presidents Zuraida Kamaruddin and Tian Chua as well as PKR Wanita chief Haniza Mohamed Talha and Selangor PKR chief Amirudin Shari.
Fahmi later explained that Amirudin who is the Selangor Mentri Besar was already on his way to the meeting after attending a separate event elsewhere, but that the meeting ended earlier as some of its leaders were rushing to Sarawak for a PH event on Sunday night.