GOMBAK: Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali had lobbied to be the Selangor menteri besar after Pakatan Harapan won the last general election, a PKR leader claimed.
PKR vice-president Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said the former PKR deputy president feared that he would be given a federal minister's post in a "junior" ministry.
"He lobbied (the then prime minister) Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Mohamad Sabu and Lim Guan Eng for their support for him to be made Selangor menteri besar again," said Nik Nazmi at a PH ceramah last night.
However, he said, Azmin, who is now Perikatan Nasional (PN) election director, quickly seized the opportunity to become minister of economic affairs, which was its own ministry, instead of under the prime minister's department, previously.
"So, to him, everything is about position. The people won't get anything because he prioritises power."
Former Setiawangsa MP Nik Nazmi said this Saturday's general election was Gombak voters' opportunity to boot Azmin out for betraying their mandate in 2018 and to right the wrong.
Azmin was among the 11 PKR MPs who shifted their allegiance to Bersatu in Feb 2020 in what has come to be known as the infamous Sheraton Move.
Azmin is now defending his Gombak seat for a fourth term under PN. He is in a five-way fight for the seat against PH's Amirudin Shari, Barisan Nasional's Megat Zulkarnain Omardin, Pejuang's Aziz Jamaludin Tahir, and independent candidate Zulkifli Ahmad.