Anwar to rival PKR groups: Disperse or else!

PETALING JAYA: PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (pic) has told pro- and anti-Zuraida Kamaruddin groups that faced off at the party’s headquarters to disperse or face disciplinary action.

Anwar said that the actions of either group at any location would not influence the disciplinary board which should come up with their decision independently.

“The board will be asked to monitor the actions of party members who go against orders,” Anwar said in a statement on Wednesday (Jan 29).

Both groups were there as Zuraida, a PKR vice-president, was expected to give her reply to a show-cause letter for criticising Anwar at a dinner function on Dec 8 last year.

However, as the Housing and Local Government Minister was at a Cabinet meeting, her political secretary Hizwan Ahmad sent the reply in her place.

Police kept a close watch on the groups before the crowd dispersed peacefully around 1.45pm.

On Jan 18, Zuraida was issued a show-cause letter and given 14 days to respond.

She was asked to respond to a list of issues including the content of a speech at a PKR gathering at Renaissance Hotel on Dec 8.

In her speech at the “Shared Prosperity Vision” dinner, she claimed that Anwar had tried to convince her that it was PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali in the sex video that went viral in June 2019.

The dinner was organised by Azmin shortly after those aligned to his faction boycotted the final day of the party’s national congress in Melaka.

PKR has in recent months been split into two factions, one supporting Anwar and the other supporting Azmin, a rift that worsened after a sex video purportedly featuring the latter was circulated by a team allegedly led by PKR members from Anwar's faction.

Zuraida has openly sided with Azmin.