BRUSHING aside criticism that Rafizi Ramli and his running mates are conducting an increasingly caustic PKR election campaign, Wanita chief hopeful Fuziah Salleh said the “20 Years of Reformasi” camp is about pushing for true reform and calling out wrongdoings.

Fuziah, who is one of many PKR leaders in Rafizi’s camp, said none of their speeches against deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali and those seen to be on his team was “personal”.

“We are not trying to bring down the party, we want to strengthen it,” she told The Malaysian Insight.

“So, if there is criticism made against leaders who are seen as negative, the criticism, from the grassroots, should be taken seriously.”

Vice-president Rafizi is gunning for Azmin’s position, and has mounted a campaign questioning the integrity of the economic affairs minister and his supporters.

Fuziah said the criticism is genuine and aimed at ensuring PKR stays to the agenda of “true reform”, and is not meant to bring down any particular leader.

“Not to bring down (leaders) like what we did to fight Barisan Nasional in the past, not to break up the party, but to strengthen it and ensure it has better direction.

“Inshaallah, we won’t do anything that would ruin or destroy the party.”

Wanita chief Zuraida Kamaruddin has announced that she will not defend her post, and instead, is gunning to be one of the party’s four vice-presidents.

Fuziah joined Rafizi’s team as a candidate for the top post in the Wanita wing, working with Batu Tiga assemblyman Rodziah Ismail, who will run as her deputy. The duo will go up against Lembah Jaya rep Haniza Talha and her running mate Daroyah Alwi, who is Sementa assemblyman.

Fuziah has challenged Haniza to a debate before the PKR polls. Voting is set to begin on September 14.

Rafizi’s camp has been increasingly vocal in its attacks against Azmin, who has held the party’s No. 2 post since 2010.

Last week, they completed their campaign in Sabah, following ceramah in Johor, Malacca and Negri Sembilan the week prior.

Fuziah said she will not apologise for slamming the Wanita wing over its “yes man” culture.

“I don’t see why I have to apologise, when I didn’t aim the comments at any specific person.

“I was only commenting on a culture that I observed. It isn’t a culture that builds up the women of PKR in the future.

“When we respect a leader, it doesn’t mean we agree with him or her on everything. I want to lead women (in PKR), so that they can voice out their agreements or disagreements. They can debate and give their views,” said Fuziah, who was Wanita chief from 2000 to 2007.

The deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of religious affairs has been criticised for slamming the wing for not voicing out, and saying this is the reason she wants to lead it.

Haniza, in response, dismissed Fauziah’s criticism, saying PKR Wanita had, in the past, fearlessly objected to party policies it disagreed with, and was among the earliest to voice support for Dr Mahathir Mohamad as Pakatan Harapan’s prime minister candidate prior to the 14th general election. – August 19, 2018.