NEW PKR Youth chief Akmal Nasir has insisted that he never issued personal attacks on the campaign trail, saying all candidates in the party polls are friends.

“We took part in the elections as a team, due to logistic limitations and for campaign purposes, among others.

“I never made personal attacks during the campaign… Hilman is my friend, we are all friends,” he said, referring to Hilman Idham, who secured the wing’s No. 2 post.

Akmal admitted that the close fight in the polls had an effect on candidates, but stressed the need to move forward.

“For me, as a party member, as a leader, our responsibility is to move on when we need to,” he told reporters at the PKR Youth congress in Shah Alam today.

“Once we are done with this (the elections), I hope everyone won based on their own capacity.”

He said he was unhappy with how the party polls played out, but he will put the matter behind him, and his focus now is to cooperate with the team.

On Tuesday, Akmal alleged that missing votes in the PKR elections were “planned” so as to hurt Rafizi Ramli’s chances of winning the deputy president’s post.

He said a total of 11,422 votes cast for the deputy president contest were missing from 40 divisions.

Rafizi this evening conceded defeat to Mohamed Azmin Ali, saying the party’s struggles must take centre stage following the conclusion of its contentious polls.

Hilman said it is time for the Youth wing to unite.

“We are no longer an opposition party. We should not fight among ourselves. Let’s move forward and get better, to ensure the people benefit.” – November 16, 2018.