Speculation is rife that a crisis is brewing in PKR over its candidates for Selangor, stemming from the protracted tug-of-war between the factions of caretaker menteri besar Azmin Ali and party vice-president Rafizi Ramli.
All eyes are now on PKR vice-president Tian Chua's press conference which is scheduled to take place at 4pm.
Talk has been circulating that Tian, the two-term incumbent Batu MP, might announce his resignation from PKR.
This was compounded when an aide to a senior PKR politician posted a message on social media, which read, “In solidarity with Tian Chua.”
Tian is known to be close to Azmin since the two of them have been fighting alongside each other since the reformasi days, even prior to the inception of PKR.
When Malaysiakini contacted Tian this afternoon on a Star Online report regarding the alleged crisis, he replied: “I am in the dark. Maybe there is some truth in it.”
On whether he would resign, he said: “Speechless.”
Meanwhile, Rafizi told Malaysiakini that party leaders must respect the prerogative of the president to make the final decision.
“The vetting of candidates are done by a committee of vice-presidents. I don't sit in there. Once the shortlisted candidates are prepared, it is then the prerogative of the president and 'ketua umum' (de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim) to decide.
“It is normal that some candidates get it, and some candidates don't. I am not aware or privy to the final list, so it is difficult for me to comment,” he said.
According to Star Online, PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail had rejected up to eight names put forward by Azmin as candidates for the state.
It added that PKR Wanita chief Zuraidah Kamaruddin, who is also aligned to Azmin, is attempting to persuade Wan Azizah to reconsider her decision.
Among those purportedly dropped include Tian, Tan Kee Kwong (incumbent Wangsa Maju MP) and incumbent state representatives Yaakob Sapari (Kota Anggerik), Hanizah Mohd Talha (Taman Medan) and Gan Pei Nie (Rawang).
Other names reportedly rejected were Azmin's press aide Hilman Idham, who was proposed for the Gombak Setia state seat and a close associate of the PKR number two, Khaled Jaafar, who was proposed for the Hulu Selangor parliamentary seat.
With a week to go before nomination date for the May 9 general election, PKR cannot afford a split at this juncture, which could jeopardise the opposition coalition Pakatan Harapan's plan of wresting federal power from BN. - Mkini
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