AS PKR Selangor members go to the polls today to pick their party’s top leadership, the rivalry between deputy president hopefuls Rafizi Ramli and Mohamad Azmin Ali is of no concern to grassroots members who say the competition is healthy for the 20-year-old party.

“In every election, there will be certain groups who will want to fight (for positions). What is important is not to sway from the party’s fundamentals,” Anuar Yaacob told the The Malaysian Insight at the Kelana Jaya division.

Another party member, Abdul Wahid Alang Ismail, said the presence of two “camps” within PKR would not weaken the party but would re-energise the party.

“The presence of camps is good for the party because there’s healthy competition,” said Abdul Wahid, who has been a PKR member since 1998.

“All the candidates will be putting on their best.”

However, he said it is important that all animosity between opposing candidates will vanish once the candidates have been voted in.

Another party member, Hanafiah Mat Amin, also said he hoped supporters of both Azmin and Rafizi would be able to come together after the party election to strengthen the party and serve the people.

“Whoever wins, or loses, is not important, because it is a healthy competition. What is important is that there is no division in the party. Leave (the division) to the election,” said the 64-year-old.

Voting for 249,850 PKR Selangor members begins today, starting with nine of its 22 divisions statewide for 108,000 voters.

The election in Selangor will be held in three stages due to the large number of members involved.

Although Selangor has been said to be Azmin’s stronghold, PKR Angkatan Muda Keadilan (AMK) assistant secretary Syed Badli Shah Syed Osman reportedly said that all 22 divisions in Selangor had pledged their support for Rafizi.

Rafizi had earlier won in Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and the Federal Territories, while Azmin has only won in Penang and Johor. – October 14, 2018.