Azmin ready to put past behind for party’s good

KUALA LUMPUR: Pledging loyalty to the party, PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Azmin Ali is ready to forget the bad blood with his president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Azmin also urged all members and leaders to band together to unite after a year of animosity between two rival factions.

“The experience that we went through for the past year was very bitter; it was a very painful experience for all of us.

“I would like to encourage all members and leaders to come forward to unite the party.

“If there is an effort (to reconcile) then I’m ready, ” he told reporters after speaking at the Shared Prosperity Vision (SPV) 2030 dinner at a hotel here yesterday.

Azmin denied claims he was going to form a new party, saying that he would remain loyal to PKR under Anwar’s leadership.

“There’s no new party.

“The people built PKR for 20 years and we will continue within this party.

“It’s just that when there are issues, we must discuss and look for a solution together.

“I’m asking everyone to put the past problems aside and let’s move forward under the leadership of our current president, ” he said.

On the fiery speech that he gave at the dinner earlier where he lambasted a leader for calling him a traitor and for not being able to accept criticism, Azmin said he had no bad intentions.

“I didn’t launch any personal attacks, I explained to the members that when the president faced allegations, I quickly came out with a firm statement to defend him.

“For the past 20 years, I have defended my president and remained loyal; it’s just (that) I don’t want him to be influenced by people who don’t understand the matter of reforms, ” he said.

Earlier in his speech, Azmin said that PKR was not built by one leader or one family, but that it was built by the common people.

Azmin also said it was ironic he had been branded a traitor when he had fought for the party for two decades, even going to jail and enduring abuse for its cause.

Azmin added that he had always came out to defend Anwar whenever the latter faced allegations.

“But when I was slandered six months ago, (he said) resign.

“So easily asked me to resign, ” said Azmin.