MELAKA: PKR advisory council chairman Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail believes that agents provocateurs are wreaking havoc in the 20-year-old party.
She said this in relation to the series of scuffles that occurred this morning during the PKR youth congress held at Melaka International Trade Centre, here.
When asked if all was well in the party considering the brawl that took place involved more than 50 youth delegates, Dr Wan Azizah said she would leave the matter to the authorities.
“We have a lot of agents provocateurs.
“I am not accusing anyone. Let the police do their investigations,” she told a press conference here today.
The deputy prime minister was then asked why peace was not reflected at the grassroots level even though party president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his deputy, Datuk Seri Azmin Ali, had met to resolve their differences.
“When Azmin came, he was cool, nothing was wrong.
“So, we want everyone to be cool too.
“Don’t provoke, because if you do, something will happen,” she said.
She was then asked why this kind of infighting could continue in PKR after a year even though the top leadership already knew about it.
“It’s dynamic. It’s the party. In any party, there is a dynamic. If it is a dead party, boring-lah,” she said.
Earlier today at around 10am, two factions of youth delegates began shouting, pushing and punching each other at several locations here including the MITC’s lobby, entrance and parking lot.
The brawl subsided after about half an hour, but another one took place at noon where a youth delegate was hurt when a person threw a rock at him. He is being treated at a hospital here.
This was after former PKR youth permanent chairman Muhamad Mizan Adli Mohd Nor was barred from entering the hall to chair the congress.
On Nov 27, Mizan along with his deputy, Mohd Ramly Ahmad, were sacked from their positions for two reasons, according to PKR youth national secretary Ahmad Syukri Che Ab Razak.
The first reason given was their age and the second was that they had received more votes than the number of delegates present during last year’s PKR Youth National Convention, suggesting that a discrepancy had taken place.
Previously Mizan had said that he would continue to chair today’s congress.
However, this morning, the media was told through a WhatsApp group that two candidates had been nominated to fill the youth permanent chairman’s position.
Earlier, Dr Wan Azizah in her speech to close the women and youth congresses, admitted that PKR was no stranger to infighting since its inception.
She said even during the party’s first polls in 2000, there were already clashes between members and leaders.
“Imagine that. We were just a fledgling party and yet we were already at loggerheads with each other.
“But, the most intense (competition) yet was during last year’s polls.
“The candidates running for posts consisted of cabinet ministers, menteris besar and state excos, among others.”
She advised party leaders and members to maintain discipline at all times.
“Clashes (between yourselves) will not benefit anyone.
“Shoulder your responsibilities well.
“Maintain your behaviour as leaders and be exemplary to party members.
“Maintain party discipline. Adhere to the ethics and rules made during the party’s formation.”