PKR names 3 new vice-presidents

PETALING JAYA: PKR president Wan Azizah Wan Ismail named human rights lawyer N. Surendran, Sarawak strongman Baru Bian and Johor chief Chua Jui Meng as the party’s three new vice-presidents.

"This team is a mix of young and experienced faces. We hope that this combination will infuse Keadilan with vigor and strength to remain at the forefront of new politics and the agenda for change.

"We are confident that this multi-racial and capable team will be acceptable to voters," Azizah told a press conference on Saturday.

Surendran, Bian and Chua will join the elected vice-presidents of Nurul Izzah Anwar, Tian Chua, Fuziah Salleh and Datuk Mansor Othman.

In accepting his appointment, Surendran said: “I certainly hope to use the position to influence a better Malaysia and bring about a fairer government.”

He said that everyone was quite pleased with the announcement as it included both senior and younger members.

“I am comfortable with everyone and I look forward to working with them,” Surendran said.

Chua said that it was an honor to be appointed as the new vice president.

“I hope that I’ll prove myself worthy of the trust the president has put in me.

“I felt that I did not want to deprive anybody. Those true reformists who had withstand all the pressures and challenges from the beginning should be given priority, that was why I withdrew myself from candidacy for the post initially.”

Chua also stressed that it should be a lesson to all political parties that there must be a balance in terms of the appointment of leaders saying that older and experienced members plus dynamism of the younger ones was necessary.

Lawyer Latheefa Koya, who was appointed for a new post as a Legal bureau said that her new role would be to give the party legal service and advise the party on the lawsuit that it faced.

Apart from that, Rafizi Ramli is the new director of strategy replacing Tian Chua who was also promoted as the new vice president.

Former vice president Sivarasa Rasiah and Selangor Deputy chief Minister Xavier Jeyakumar are now in the political bureau.

Dr Nur Manuty takes Latheefa’s post as Information chief and will be assisted by two deputies - Pantai Jerejak assemblyman Sim Tze Tsin and Animah Ferrar.

Communications director Nik Nazmi and secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution were the only ones who retained their positions and they will be assisted by Sabah youth leader Darell Leiking and T Kumar.

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