KUALA LUMPUR: It looks like the infighting in PKR is showing no signs of abating anytime soon, with leaders from different camps in the party trading barbs at each other, back and forth.
Tension between factions aligned to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Datuk Seri Azmin Ali escalated after the PKR disciplinary board decided to sack Zakaria Abdul Hamid and Ismail Dulhadi on Sunday.
Zakaria and Ismail, who were the Bera PKR division chief and an ordinary member from Pahang respectively, were stripped of their party membership following allegations of corruption brought against the duo by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
PKR vice-president Zuraida Kamaruddin said she stood by her earlier statement that the dismissal of Zakaria and Ismail did not follow the ‘wajar’ (proper) procedure.
“I have read the response by PKR communications director (Fahmi Fadzil) over my criticism involving the sacking of central committee member Zakaria Abdul Hamid from the party.
“The explanation given by the appointed officer was too ‘mentah’ (immature) when commenting on the political issue. And based on his statement, it is clear he did not understand the issue that I had put forward.
“The issue that I had highlighted is clear and easy (to be understood), the dismissal did not follow the proper process,” she said in a statement titled, ‘Jangan Tegakkan Benang Yang Basah,’ which is loosely translated as do not right the wrongs.
She was responding to a statement by Fahmi, who told off Zuraida, that party leaders would know why Pakatan Harapan component party leadership decided to sack Zakaria and Ismail if they had attended party meetings.
“I think if she had attended the weekly political bureau meetings and also the central leadership council meeting yesterday (Sunday), she would understand why the action was taken (against Zakaria) because the full information was given to us and it was clear,” Fahmi, who is the Lembah Pantai member of parliament, told reporters when met at the Parliament lobby earlier today.
The statement came after Zuraida, who is Ampang MP, chided the party’s disciplinary board when she described the sacking of the two members as “a downgrading form of reform.”
The party’s disciplinary board chairman, Datuk Ahmad Kassim, said the decision was made after PKR received a letter from the MACC dated Oct 23 on the alleged wrongdoings, which were said to have occurred during last year’s party elections.
Zakaria was formerly political secretary to Works Minister Baru Bian.
Baru had welcomed efforts to investigate Zakaria in September last year, after a police report was lodged against him. The report was filed by PKR Youth coordinator Ahmad Syukri Che Ab Razab on Sept 25, 2018.
Ahmad Syukri, in the report, alleged Zakaria had abused his position as a civil servant by promising to give contracts worth RM20,000 and allocations amounting to at least RM300,000, during a meeting with local leaders on Sept 1 in Pahang.
The latest statement issued by Zuraida, who is also the Housing and Local Government Minister, was her second over the sacking of Zakaria and Ismail.
Echoing her sentiments is PKR Youth vice-chief Nazree Yunus, who has called on the leadership to bring the party back on the right track.
He claimed that PKR’s idealism and principles had been ripped apart as they were not properly applied when the decision to fire Zakaria and Ismail was made.