Infighting within Anwar’s PKR continues to rage and for the first time, party president Anwar Ibrahim made public reference to a certain ‘cartel’ active in the party.
The blogosphere on the internet and social media posts have long referred to a certain grouping in the party as a ‘cartel’.
Some comments on social media say the said cartel is a powerful group of ministers, party leaders and youth members representing an entire faction in the party.
However, those aligned to Anwar use the term to refer to PKR deputy president Azmin Ali’s faction.
Without saying which group forms the cartel in the PKR, Anwar said he will not endorse the existence of cartels in the party.
According to people close to the party, the said cartel is also composed of cabinet ministers.
The PKR has seven cabinet ministers, including the wife of Anwar Ibrahim, Deputy PM Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail. The party also have four deputy ministers.
Anwar also warned about the trappings of power, positions and wealth, noting how these can adversely impact idealism, stressing on the importance of PKR’s origins.
“Positions are not for us to become slaves and lackeys to the point of losing our sense and forgetting the party and principles of our struggle.
“Our (political) ascension is because of the party. How can we forget the party and principles after obtaining positions and power?” he said.
‘Positions should not make us slaves or lackeys,’ he added.
Anwar also reminded the party members that power and wealth must not bewitch the leaders.
“(They) must lead moderate lives because we have a responsibility towards the people. We must be stern in this,” he said at a party meeting.
The other PKR ministers are the Minister of Economy Azmin Ali, Minister of Water, Land and Natural Resources Dr Xavier Jayakumar Arulanandam, Minister of Housing and Local Government Zuraida Kamaruddin, Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumers Affairs Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, Minister of Foreign Affairs Saifuddin Abdullah and Minister of Works Baru Bian. -/TISG