PADANG SERAI: Perikatan Nasional's (PN) candidate for the Padang Serai polls Datuk Azman Nasrudin today challenged PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli to state his position on the appointment of Barisan Nasional chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as deputy prime minister I.
Azman today dared Rafizi and other PKR leaders to publicly state their stand on corruption issues following the appointment of cabinet ministers.
"During the election campaign (for the 15th General Election), Rafizi said he would be the first person to object to any cooperation between PKR and Umno."
The Lunas assemblyman, who left PKR two years ago, claimed that the party leaders were only good in rhetoric, especially when it came to anti-corruption.
"However, when they face Anwar, they chicken out. They should not sacrifice their principles just to secure position, prestige and power.
"I know they don't have the guts, unlike PKR leaders who have left the party, we dared to uphold the true principles. That's why we left PKR," Azman said after launching a basketball tournament in Lunas here today.
In November, Rafizi was reported as saying that he would not remain silent if there were negotiations between PKR and Umno — even without its president, Zahid, ahead of GE15.
Azman lamented that Zahid's appointment as DPM would have an adverse impact on the country as he was still facing trials over corruption cases.
"His appointment gives the world the impression that the prime minister of Malaysia, who has been championing reforms, rejecting corruption and kleptocracy, had to bow to Zahid.
"It may send the wrong signal to the investors, who may think Malaysia is not serious about fighting corruption.
"Honestly, I don't like the prime minister, but I wished to see that he could form a clean cabinet."
Azman also took a swipe at Anwar for allegedly practising double standards by excluding DAP's Lim Guan Eng and Malaysian United Democratic Alliance's Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, who were also facing trials, from the cabinet list.
"This is a double standard, it seems that not appointing Lim Guan Eng and Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman (who are also involved in corruption trials) does not affect the prime minister because perhaps they are not protesting.
"However, Anwar had to appoint Zahid because he (Anwar) wanted to become the prime minister for so long.
"Thus, he appointed Zahid (as DPM), who controls 30 BN members of parliament, to remain in power."