SARAWAK is the last stop of the PKR party elections, and the 53,000 members in the state – including 12,000 whose membership are in question – could bury Rafizi Ramli’s deputy presidential ambitions, said political observers and party sources.

The PKR party polls in Sarawak are slated for November 10, and while voting trends in other states may see changes in allegiance, all key leaders in the state are reported to be behind incumbent Azmin Ali.

The race to be president-elect Anwar Ibrahim’s deputyo is the most followed battle in the PKR polls.

Rafizi is currently in the lead after winning in Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, and the federal territories, while  Azmin has won only in Penang and Johor. But the tides are expected to turn in Sarawak.

Apart from Julau MP Larrry Sng, the Julau division and one or two youth members who have thrown their support behind former vice-president Rafizi Ramli, state chief Baru Bian, the state supreme council and the remaining 28 divisions have pledged support for Azmin and those aligned to him, The Malaysian Insight was told.

“Only Larry is not with Azmin. Baru Bian and entire PKR Sarawak are with Azmin,” a source said.

Sng, a former assistant minister in the state Barisan Nasional cabinet of Abdul Taib Mahmud and former president of Sarawak Workers’ Party (SWP), was in the news recently over the sudden registration of some 12,000 new members in the Julau division.

The unusual increase in membership in the predominantly Dayak rural constituency 306km from the state capital of Kuching was immediately red flagged, and the party’s election committee is said to be investigating allegations of impropriety.

The PKR source said the only other member of note who was aligned to the Rafizi camp was Hafsah Harun, a former adviser to the party, but the former Barisan Nasional state minister was dismissed as  a threat.

“She’s retired and not a key player,” the source said of Hafsah, who was sacked from Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) by Abdul Taib Mahmud over her role in the so-called Ming Court putsch in 1987 – an attempt to remove Taib as chief minister by a group of Sarawak politicians.

Hafsah, like Larry, is not even a member of the state supreme council.

The party’s Mas Gading division secretary Francis Teron Kadap said the state leadership was supporting Azmin because of his “maturity in politics and “his ability to govern”, in reference to Azmin’s tenure as the menteri besar of Selangor.

“As for Rafizi, he is no doubt a man of steel and brilliance but he should be more patient knowing there are other people with seniority.

“Furthermore, he thus far has not proven himself in governance, not even of a state,” said Teron.

The state women’s wing has declared support for Azmin’s team of Haniza Talha and Dr. Daroyah Alwi for the women chief and deputy posts, as well as their former chief Zuraida Kamaruddin who is contesting for one of the vice-president posts.

Sarawak Wanita PKR chief Nurhanim Mokhsen as early as August had declared her support for Azmin, the Economics Affairs Minister.

“We have never doubted his ability and commitment to the party and his performance as menteri besar of Selangor is par excellence,” she said.

“His early struggle and loyal support to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim both as his boss and political leader are on the record.”

Party polls in Selangor kicks off today at nine of 22 divisions.

Although Selangor is said to be Azmin’s stronghold, PKR Angkatan Muda Keadilan (AMK) assistant secretary Syed Badli Shah Syed Osman is reported to have said that all 22 divisions in Selangor had pledged their support for Rafizi. – October 16, 2018.