Newly-elected PKR deputy president Azmin Ali has vowed to rid the party of “traitors” following the bruising two-month-long party election process which has soured the party's public image.

NONE Speaking to reporters at the Parliament lobby today, Azmin ( right ) said the “clean-up” will begin immediately after the party’s national congress on Sunday.

He urged party members to develop “principles of loyalty” to preserve the reformasi spirit and ensure that there will no longer be any treachery within PKR.

“When there are traitorous leaders, not only will the party be scarred, even civilisations will fall. Look at Perak. When there were two traitors, not only was the party fractured, but the state fell (to BN),” said Azmin.

He said that the party must institute training regimes to inculcate loyalty and the party’s ideology for the grassroots and the party leadership so as not to see a repeat of the recent drama in the party.

“PKR needs a structure and organisation that is clear and compact so that we can go to the ground, meet with the members and the people to explain party policies and the programmes,” he opined.

While he admits that there was a lot of infighting, Azmin blamed a lot of the bad publicity to Umno-linked Malay daily Utusan Malaysia and broadcaster TV3.

But the focus, he said, is to solve the issues identified, so it won’t be repeated in the general elections.

‘Don’t undermine my president’

Azmin also defended party president Wan Azizah Wan Ismail from allegations of being a placeholder for party de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim and rubbished any rift between him and the party boss.

“You don’t undermine my president. She has a soft power, she has been able to conduct herself the last 10 years. She is a unifying factor in the party, she has done a tremendous job as president.

“I have no problem (with her leadership), I mean we have gone through thick and thin together for the past 26 years,” said the party stalwart.

The PKR deputy president-elect also heaped praises on Anwar’s daughter, who is also Lembah Pantai parliamentarian, Nurul Izzah Anwar who is vice-president elect.

azlan “She has a strong appeal among the younger generation and she has potential. That’s why I dismiss the idea of nepotism or dynasty in the party. Unlike BN or Umno, Nurul Izzah has potential to strengthen the party, she has performed well even when her father was behind bars.”

Nurul Izzah, he said, also performed very well in the last elections.

“She defeated a senior cabinet minister. She is a very effective MP in Parliament and I strongly believe this is the right time for her to play a major role in the party in preparing for the general election because our focus is on the younger generation and young voters,” he reasoned.

‘Zaid failed since day one’

Still basking in the afterglow of his victory, Azmin also took the opportunity to again hit out at former fellow deputy president hopeful Zaid Ibrahim.

zaid ibrahim quits pkr 191110 bye “Yes, he has failed since day one,” said the PKR leader.

He said that Zaid ( left ) has been given ample opportunities and privileges not even accorded to long-standing members to perform and to contribute to the party but did not deliver.

“He is one of those leaders who got more privileges compared to others, people who struggled for the last 12 years, they were not even appointed to the supreme council or the (political) bureau. We put him as a member of political bureau, the highest body in the party, as a supreme council member, as a candidate in Hulu Selangor.

“You name it, all these privileges were given to him but he has failed. Don’t blame us. So don’t blame Anwar or the president of the party for that matter,” he argued.

Quizzed about Zaid’s intention to form a new party , Azmin wished his one-time rival good luck.

“He is not a person who can work as a team, he is not a team player, how could you lead a party or any organisation for that matter, if you can’t listen, if you don’t have any humility to listen to others,” said a sceptical Azmin.

Anwar: No guarantee deputy will become president

Meanwhile, PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim said despite his protege Azmin’s win in the race for the deputy presidency, it does not assure the latter of ascending to the party president’s post.

NONE Anwar ( right ) said there was no guarantee that anyone holding the post of deputy president will then become the president.

He also denied suggestions made by Zaid that the party would be weakened by his leaving the party as he would bring 2,000 of his supporters with him.

“I am certain PKR will not be weakened by this episode and we will emerge stronger than before,” he said.

Anwar said that whatever the circumstances, he would be leading the opposition Pakatan Rakyat in the coming general election.

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