PKR youth’s decision to invite Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail to officiate its annual congress next month and to snub party deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali was made by a majority of the leadership, sources said.

A source from the youth wing said no objections were raised to replace Azmin with Wan Azizah at the October 20 meeting.

And only three out of 21 youth leaders, who yesterday issued a statement condemning the snub against Azmin, were present at that meeting.

These 21 are also a minority among the 73 members of the PKR youth central leadership, the source said.

“There were more than 30 youth leaders at the meeting and no one objected. If there were objections by anyone, they didn’t come to the meeting.

“If you want to object, then attend the meeting. This is just politics and drama,” the source said, adding that early notice was given two weeks prior to the meeting.

Sources told The Malaysian Insight last week that the wing would break tradition by inviting Wan Azizah, who is PKR adviser, to officiate its congress instead of Azmin.

This followed the feud between Azmin and PKR president Anwar Ibrahim over a sex video implicating the former which emerged in June.

The economic affairs minister has denied the video and called it a plot to destroy his career.

The discord between him and Anwar over the video later led him to declare support for Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad to complete a full term leading the country.

This goes against an agreement by all Pakatan Harapan parties that Anwar is to take over as prime minister before the next elections.

Azmin also aggravated ties within PKR by refusing to attend party leadership and political bureau meetings, along with other leaders in his faction.

His loyalty to PKR has also come under question after party founder and veteran Dr Syed Husin Ali revealed that he had either wanted to join Bersatu or start a new party at the height of internal discord over the sex video.

Yesterday, youth chief Akmal Nasir confirmed that the wing’s leadership decided to invite Wan Azizah to “send a message” that the wing only supports leaders who uphold PKR’s struggle.

The 21 youth leaders, led by Azmin’s political secretary, Hilman Idham, said it was wrong to have invited Azmin at first and later retract the invitation.

The statement signed by the 21 leaders from different states also criticised PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, accusing him of having a role retracting Azmin’s invitation.

Saifuddin has denied any involvement, saying the decision to invite Wan Azizah was entirely up to the youth.

A copy of a letter purportedly confirming Azmin’s agreement to officiate the youth congress is currently being shared in PKR circles through WhatsApp.

PKR Youth secretary Syukri Ab Razak said he sent an invitation letter to Azmin on September 11, which was received by his office on September 23.

 However, Syukri said he never received a formal reply.

“It’s true that I sent the letter to Azmin on September 11. We waited for a formal reply, which we never received.

“I never saw any letter which said he (Azmin) agreed (to officiating the youth congress) that had any formal ‘chop’,” Syukri told The Malaysian Insight.

The youth congress will be held on December 6 at the Malacca International Trade Centre (MITC). – November 14, 2019.