KUALA LUMPUR: Parti Keadlian Rakyat (PKR) deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali (pix) has said he does not want to lead a party whose members and leaders have no quality.
The Minister of Economic Affairs also said that PKR was not a party built to butter anyone up, but one which prioritise the agenda of reformation.
“I do not want to lead a party whose leaders lack quality as I want to be a party’s deputy president where the leaders are morally sound.
“This party was not built fur us to butter anyone up. We want to reform and we want to produce (quality) leaders instead of apple polishers,“ he said in his speech at the 2030 ‘Wawasan Kemakmuran Bersama’ (Shared Prosperity Vision) dinner with delegates of the party’s National Congress yesterday.
Azmin also expressed his regret at yesterday’s PKR National Congress debate session which did not touch on Shared Prosperity Vision 2030 (WKB2030).
“MPs and the opposition debated it but our own party members did not want to touch it as if we haven’t done anything, why? Because WKB2030 came from the Ministry of Economic Affairs. That’s all,“ he said.
However, when met by reporters, Azmin said his speech was not an ‘attack’ on anyone but merely to explain to party members that he was always ready to defend the party’s president, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
“This is not a lie, this is what I have been doing for 20 years defending the president. I am loyal, but I do not want him to be influenced by people who do not understand the real issues of reform,“ he said.
When asked by reporters what his advice was for his supporters who wanted him to form a new party under his leadership, he replied: “That issue does not arise”.
“We have built the party (PKR) together with the people for 20 years and we will remain with the party. When we have problems we should discuss together to find a solution,“ he said.
He called on all PKR members to move on from the past and move forward as a stronger party under the current presidential (PKR) leadership.
“I urge all leaders to work together to unify the party. I will be willing to cooperate, discuss and reconcile towards achieving that,“ he added.
More than 3,000 people attended the dinner, who comprised representatives of the National Congress, observers and PKR members from around the country.
The event was also attended by vice-presidents Zuraida Kamaruddin, Ali Biju and Tian Chua, PKR Wanita chief Haniza Mohamed Talha, PKR Youth deputy chief (AMK) Muhammad Hilman Idham and Central Leadership Council members Amirudin Shaari and R. Sivarasa. — Bernama
