PUTRAJAYA: PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali said he would seriously consider the majority voice in the Youth wing wanting him to officiate its congress in Melaka next month.
He thanked those in the youth wing for their courage to speak up for the sake of the party's interest.
"They (the youth leaders) were elected in the party congress by the youth members and certainly we need to respect the voice of the majority.
"And that is the democracy in the party and also the democracy we have been practicing for many years.
"I certainly appreciate what they had said earlier and as the deputy president of the party, I will certainly consider this decision by AMK (Youth Wing) seriously," he said.
Azmin was asked to comment on the move by 21 PKR Youth leaders who condemned the action by PKR secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution for retracting the invitation to Azmin to officiate at the party's Youth National congress.
In a recent statement signed by 21 out of 25 PKR Youth central leaders appointed during the last party election, the group had slammed Saifuddin for triggering a "leadership crisis."
Saifuddin withdrew the invitation to Azmin, who is also the Economic Affairs Minister, to officiate at the congress on Dec 6, subsequently overriding the Youth leader's invitation on Nov 11.
PKR Youth deputy chief Muhammad Hilman Idham had insisted that the party deputy president should officiate the party’s youth wing congress.
As per the party tradition, Hilman said the deputy president should officiate the annual convention.
He said the wing would also mobilise all national and division level movements to defend the party tradition.
On PKR Youth chief Akmal Nasrallah Mohd Nasir's statement that Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail would be invited to launch its congress, Azmin replied: "That was what Akmal said."
Akmal was reported saying that there was nothing wrong in inviting Dr Wan Azizah, who is also the party's advisory council chairman.
The PKR Youth chief had also said the 21 youth leaders who signed the statement were not the majority of the party youth central leadership as claimed.
Azmin was also asked on the latest move by the Sarawak PKR led by its chief Baru Bian, to cancel the state convention slated on Nov 23 as members did not agree with the move to rescind Azmin’s invitation to officiate the PKR Youth Convention.
In response, Azmin said it was a collective decision made by the state-level party.
"It was not Baru Bian (who) cancelled (the state-level convention). It was a decision taken by the Sarawak leadership.
"I think it was a collective decision in view of the latest development in the party and they wanted the leadership of the party at the national level to seriously consider their proposal to uphold party unity, which must be given priority."