SARAWAK PKR has to continue with its annual congress and should not give ultimatums to the party leadership, president Anwar Ibrahim said.

He was responding to Sarawak PKR chairman Baru Bian’s decision to cancel the state chapter’s annual convention later this month in support of PKR deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali until party leaders resolve a brewing crisis.

The crisis is the discord arising from the PKR Youth wing’s decision to uninvite Azmin to officiate its annual congress next month, and to invite Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail instead.

“Nobody can give ultimatums. Nobody should be arrogant enough to dictate (to the party),” Anwar told the media after speaking at the Kuala Terengganu PKR congress this evening.

Earlier today, Baru said the state has decided to cancel its annual convention on November 23 in support of Azmin over the snub by the Youth wing.

A statement signed by him and seven top Sarawak PKR leaders said they wanted the party leadership to solve the matter in a just and fair manner.

“If the crisis is not handled immediately by the party leadership, it will only result in a deeper crisis and division in PKR,” the state leaders said.

Sarawak PKR said it was disappointed with the developments as it has been tradition for the party’s deputy president to officiate the youth wing’s national congress. Of the state PKR leaders, only the state youth chief supported the decision to invite Wan Azizah. 

PKR then overruled Baru’s decision, with party director of state conventions, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, saying that the central leadership had been meeting state leaders since September on plans for their respective conventions.

“As such, the Sarawak PKR convention will proceed as planned in Miri at the time and date decided,” said Nik Nazmi.

Anwar today said the plan to cancel the Sarawak PKR convention did not have the agreement of all the state branch chiefs.

“Only a few leaders in Sarawak don’t want the convention but I have received information that most branches still want the meeting held.”

State leaders should abide by decision made at central level, he added.

“If there are any changes to plans, don’t make threats but go through the leadership meetings.”

The Youth wing’s invitation to Wan Azizah, who is also PKR adviser and Anwar’s wife, has renewed fractures in the party between Azmin and Anwar’s supporters.

The break with tradition, where the deputy president normally officiates the Youth congress, comes after open discord between Azmin and Anwar over a sex video which emerged in June that implicates the economic affairs minister. Azmin has denied the video.

Azmin has also defied the party leadership’s urging to attend central leadership and political bureau meetings by being absent for months.

The Youth wing said it had initially invited Azmin to its December 6 congress but his office failed to reply to the invitation on time, after which Wan Azizah was invited instead.

But Azmin has retorted, saying there were “hidden hands” in the party using the Youth wing to “shut him up”. – November 15, 2019.