PKR never a member of Liberal International, says PM

KUALA LUMPUR: PKR was never a member of the United Kingdom-based Liberal International, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

The PKR president also said he hopes the issue will not be politicised any more.

“On Liberal International, you can check that we have never been a member.

“In the beginning, we were associates. But, due to several of their decisions, including acknowledging the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) and supporting Israel, we never became a member,” said Anwar in Parliament on Tuesday (Nov 7).

Speaking during the Prime Minister’s Question Time, Anwar said he once attended and delivered a speech at a Liberal International conference in Cairo, Egypt. Egyptian Opposition leader Ayman Nour and Muslim Brotherhood representative Mahdi Akif attended it.

“Yes, I attended that conference. We also attended the United Nations events, and the UN recognises Israel as a country.

“But, attending as a member (of the UN) does not mean that we have anything to do with Israel. We have no ties with Israel,” said Anwar.

According to Anwar, PKR has broken ties with Liberal International, and party information chief Fahmi Fadzil has informed the matter.

On Nov 6, Fahmi said PKR’s name and logo are no longer featured on Liberal International’s official website.

It had been claimed recently on several social media posts that PKR is a member of Liberal International, an organisation which announced support for Israel.

Liberal International is a worldwide organisation of liberal political parties founded in Oxford in 1947.

It has become the main network of liberal parties that aim to strengthen liberalism worldwide.