Anwar Ibrahim is facing a direct affront from his party’s youth wing, with several leaders calling for a vote of no-confidence against their president.
Taking the side of deputy president Azmin Ali, the group claimed they were ‘ashamed’ of persistent attempts to kick out leaders who not supportive of the party’s leadership.
However, a senior leader in the party and a member of the central leadership council Abdullah Sani Abdul Hamid retaliated against the move, saying he could call for a motion to sack Azmin and his allies instead.
The Economic Affairs Minister, Azmin Ali, has been absent from party meetings for the past six months and the party may sack those who do not attend meetings for three months in a row without a valid excuse.
Azmin is leading the charge against Anwar Ibrahim in the party, rallying support from some federal ministers in the cabinet and top party leaders in Selangor and other states.
But so far, Anwar has held a tight grip on the party’s apparatus. However, no one knows where a motion of no confidence might go, and whether Anwar can fend off such an attack.
With the call from some members of the youth wing, the party enters into a deeper crisis as it puts into question Anwar’s ability to hold the party together.
On Sunday, TISG’s opinion piece on the situation in the PKR revolved around the possibility of a break-up of the party. If they weaken the party, it may weaken Anwar’s chance to take over from Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
The disgruntled youth members said 20 party leaders had submitted a memorandum to the party disciplinary committee in protest against what they called the unjust sacking of a party official close to the Azmin camp.
The party has also dismissed two youth leaders saying they were over the age limit to be in the youth wing and they had obtained more votes than cast by the members present to win their posts.
While saying it is up to the permanent chairman to accept or reject motions pushed during the upcoming party congress, Abdullah Sani added, “If they want to call for a motion of no-confidence against the party president who did not breach the party constitution, I too can retaliate by pushing a motion to sack Azmin, vice-president Zuraida Kamaruddin, and deputy Youth chief Hilman Idham.” -/TISG