SEREMBAN: Negri Sembilan legislative assembly Deputy Speaker Datuk M. Ravi and three other assemblymen from PKR have been dropped from the new state liaison committee line-up, a move that is likely to cause a rift among members.
Apart from the Sri Tanjung assemblyman who was previously state deputy PKR chief, also missing from the state line-up announced Thursday (Sept 29) are Ampangan assemblyman Datuk Dr Mohamad Rafie Ab Malek, Chuah assemblyman Datuk Michael Yek and Pilah assemblyman Mohamad Nazaruddin Sabtu.
Mohamad Rafie, who is also state investment, industrialisation, entrepreneurship, education and human capital committee chairman, was previously director of strategic planning while Yek was vice chairman II.
Mohamad Nazaruddin, who holds the state arts, culture and Malay traditions portfolio, was also an ex-officio in his capacity as an assemblyman.
The only state PKR assemblyman retained in the new line-up for the next three years is Datuk Ismail Ahmad, who was previously vice chairman I.
This time, the Rasah division chief has been appointed committee member.
The new line-up was released by the office of Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun who is state PKR chief.
Seremban PKR chief Muhammad Nazri Kassim has been named as Aminuddin's deputy while Port Dickson vice-chief Kenny Chiew and Kuala Pilah division chief Shahran Kaat were named as state vice chairman I and II.
PKR has six assemblymen in the state.
A political observer said the move by Aminuddin to drop Ravi, Mohamad Rafie, Yek and Nazaruddin did not make sense.
"The party constitution says that as assemblymen, they are ex-officios and should sit in the state committee. The state chief should know this," he said.
In September last year, Ravi, Mohamad Rafie, Ismail and Yek claimed that many party supporters were unhappy with Aminuddin's performance as state PKR chief.
The four said some party members had proposed for Aminuddin to focus on running the state administration as Mentri Besar and for someone else to take over as state party chief.
However, party president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim later said Aminuddin would continue to remain as state party chief.
In January this year, Aminuddin moved his membership from the Tampin division which he had helmed, to Port Dickson.
He then went on to challenge Ravi, who was the incumbent division chief, in the party divisional polls held in May and won.
Mohamad Rafie had also lost in the contest for the top post in the Seremban division in the party polls in May.
Another PKR member said Aminuddin's decision to drop the four and "relegate" Ismail was at the party's detriment.
"This is not an intelligent move, what more with the general election expected to be called anytime.
This will only cause unhappiness among members and can work against the party," he said.
He claimed the move showed that Aminuddin held a grudge against the four.
Another member said if the four did not have the party's interests at heart, they would have jumped ship a long time ago which would have caused the collapse of the state government.
"But the four continued to remain loyal to PKR although they were unhappy with Aminuddin's performance. And this is how the state PKR chief has repaid their loyalty," he said.
Aminuddin also named Seremban deputy PKR chief Aliudin Mohamed as secretary, Seremban PKR Youth chief Mohamad Afif Anuar as state Youth chief and Nurzunita Begum Ibrahim as Wanita chief.
