THE Selangor government remains solid following PKR’s sacking of Mohamed Azmin Ali and other assemblymen, said the party’s top leader in the state.

Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari said PKR has 17 members in the 52-seat state assembly, followed by DAP (16) and Amanah (8).

“We also have three assemblymen from Bersatu who have given their full support to the state government.

“Even though the former PKR deputy president (Azmin) still has influence here, it didn’t affect us much when he went off track and left the party,” he told The Malaysian Insight talk show Insight Talk.

On February 24, the party gave the boot to Azmin and vice-president Zuraida Kamaruddin. The former was in Pakatan Harapan before leading a group of 10 PKR MPs to declare their support for Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin.

In March, Azmin was appointed international trade and industry minister in Muhyiddin’s cabinet following a change of government.

He held the Gombak parliamentary and Bukit Antarabangsa state seats for PKR, while Zuraida was its Ampang MP.

Amirudin acknowledged that the duo still wield influence over some in PKR, but stressed that the majority is solidly behind the party, with most members subscribing to its reform agenda.

“Their loyalty doesn’t lie in any individual. We previously lost a very influential menteri besar, Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, who was sacked from the party. Everyone thought when Khalid got sacked, Selangor PKR would not be strong anymore.

“But in the last elections, we proved that (we were still strong). We won most of the seats (in Selangor) and got the majority to form (the state) government.”

Khalid, who got kicked out of PKR over differences with the party leadership, was replaced by Azmin as menteri besar in 2014.

Members’ loyalty to the party is strong despite some defections, said Amirudin.

“We still have branches (intact). None has disbanded, dissolved or changed their stance and moved towards Perikatan Nasional,” he said, referring to talk that the party has lost branches.

Committed to Selangor

The Selangor PKR chairman said the party continues to be the best platform for reform.

“The struggle is bigger than any individual. I will continue to stay in PKR because it has the best tools (to realise) the reform agenda.

“I want to stress that I’m in PKR not because of any individual. Not because of the president (Anwar Ibrahim), not because of the deputy president when Azmin held the post.

“I’m very clear on my stand that Reformasi is the main agenda.”

He added that PKR’s primary aim is to ensure the welfare of the people, especially the poor, uphold democracy and tackle corruption, all of which are under its reform agenda. – July 26, 2020.