PETALING JAYA: Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) was shaken by the sudden resignation of Nurul Izzah Anwar as party vice-president and Penang PKR chairman today.
Her announcement was seen as evidence of further cracks in the party following the recent polls which saw her father Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim becoming president.
Nurul said in a statement that there are certain beliefs and ideals which she feels can only come true if she resigned from the two party positions.
“I will also no longer serve the federal government in any capacity and leave the decision as to my role in the Penang state level Government-Linked Companies to the party leadership.
“I remain a member of the parliamentary backbench committed to reforms. I also leave to the leadership the decision as to my status as a member of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), she said.
“My only regret is that I should have made this announcement sooner, but it has not been an easy decision to arrive at,“ she added. (See full statement on page 2)
According to party sources, Nurul was apparently unhappy with certain appointments made by Anwar following the PKR polls, particularly those of state party chairmen.
“For example, that of Datuk Johari Abdul as the Kedah state PKR chairman, despite him not having won any position in the party polls.
The source said she was unhappy that apart from the appointment of Selangor PKR chairman, Amirudin Shari and Sarawak’s Baru Bian, the other state chairmen were all people aligned to former vice-president Rafizi Ramli.
“Nurul was also very upset with the cat and mouse game being played by Umno members with Bersatu (PPBM) and PKR,“ revealed the source.
Meanwhile, PKR central committee member Latheefa Koya also said the appointments announced were “disturbing and a cause for grave concern.”
“Appointments favouring one particular faction are tantamount to cronyism, which is anathema to any reform party,“ she said.
Latheefa said the party president is given the power to choose the state chiefs in consultation with the division chiefs, but “it is highly unusual and contrary to the spirit of the party constitution for the President to ignore the majority preference.”
She pointed out that Nurul’s appointment as Penang state chairman was highly inappropriate and open to the charge of nepotism because she is Anwar’s daughter.
Latheefa added that after the party’s “scandal-ridden” election process, these appointments only further erode public regard and confidence in PKR.
In another development, Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Abdul Karim rejected his appointment as Johor PKR chief effective today.
In a letter which was also forwarded to theSun, Hassan thanked Anwar for his trust in appointing him to the position, but officially declined the appointment.
He pledged to continue to support the PH government as a PKR member and Pasir Gudang MP.
