Dato’ Seri Azmin Ali controls half of PKR’s most strategic assets, including the hundreds of millions that a Chinese tycoon handed over to Anwar which Anwar then passed on to Azmin for purposes of investment through Selangor’s Menteri Besar Incorporated and Darul Ehsan Investment Group.
Given that Azmin’s and Mahathir’s joint mission is to prevent Anwar from becoming Prime Minister, there is no reason for Azmin to want to patch things up with Anwar as it would be wiser for him to transfer control of these assets to Mahathir along with the loyalty of the MPs that soiled their hands with proceeds from the assets.
Not only will the dirty books on these MPs come in handy, Azmin could also use Anwar’s open aversion towards him as basis to lure pro-Anwar MPs to his side by telling them that Anwar, a convicted sodomite, was wrong to publically discuss the Haziq sex videos.
As a point in contention, Azmin could remind these MPs how everyone in PKR defended Anwar back in 1998, and again, in 2014, and never once asked the latter to resign or spoke of the possibility that his crimes were real.
Azmin could then sum everything up by arguing that Anwar is jealous of his associations with Mahathir and feared that he (Azmin) would end up becoming Prime Minister instead.
PETALING JAYA: Dato’ Seri Saifuddin Nasution was a sucker at telling lies back in 1999 and is no better today despite the twenty year lapse.
Yesterday, the PKR secretary-general downplayed the verbal spat between party president Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the latter’s deputy, Dato’ Seri Azmin Ali, as mere “difference of opinion”.
“Having a difference of opinion in Keadilan is a norm and the party is capable in handling the current situation,” Saifuddin reportedly told newsmen in Johor Baru.
“In the party’s 20 year history, where I am one of the pioneer founding members, there were situations such as this.
“For us, in any political journey there will always be ups and downs and this current situation will not weaken PKR,” he added.
True, except for one thing – PKR has never seen a leadership crisis to date involving holders of the party’s top two posts.
Yesterday, Anwar told reporters that Azmin needed to resign should investigations reveal that he is indeed the man in the video along with Haziq Abdullah Abdul Aziz.
This drew a bitchy response from Azmin, who told newsmen that Anwar needed “to look at the man in the mirror.”
The exchange marked the first time ever two top PKR leaders engaged in a public spat over an issue that is likely common to both of them – homosexuality.
The exchange also meant team Anwar and team Azmin, already split on account to Azmin’s loyalty towards Mahathir, are officially at war.
This is set to pose a huge problem for PKR, as close to half of the party’s most strategic assets are currently being controlled by Azmin through beneficial associations involving several Members of Parliament (MPs).
This includes the hundreds of millions that a Chinese tycoon handed over to Anwar which Anwar then passed on to Azmin for purposes of investment through Selangor’s Menteri Besar Incorporated and Darul Ehsan Investment Group.
Given that Azmin’s and Mahathir’s joint mission is to prevent Anwar from becoming Prime Minister, there is no reason for Azmin to want to patch things up with Anwar as it would be wiser for him to transfer control of these assets to Mahathir along with the loyalty of the MPs who soiled their hands with proceeds from the assets.
Not only will the dirty books on these MPs now come in handy, Azmin could also use Anwar’s open aversion towards him as basis to lure pro-Anwar MPs to his side by telling them that Anwar, a convicted sodomite, was wrong to publicly discuss the Haziq sex videos.
As a point in contention, Azmin could remind these MPs how everyone in PKR defended Anwar back in 1998, and again, in 2014, and never once asked the latter to resign or spoke of the possibility that his crimes were real.
Azmin could then sum everything up by arguing that Anwar is jealous of his associations with Mahathir and feared that he (Azmin) would end up becoming Prime Minister.
So, not only was Saifuddin bluffing when he told us that the spat would not weaken PKR, as we speak, members of his team are desperately trying to reach out to Azmin to convince him not to do anything that could destroy the party.
RJ RITHAUDEEN
