Radzi: Focus on strengthening party

KUALA LUMPUR: Bersatu’s annual general assembly, which starts tomorrow, will focus on strengthening the party, says its vice-president Datuk Seri Radzi Jidin.

“We are still finalising our theme but the focus of this AGM will be on strengthening the party to ensure continuity. We may have lost in the last general election, but as a seven-year-old party, we have come far,” he said.

The Bersatu AGM comes less than a month after the opposition party took a major blow when four of its MPs – namely from Labuan, Kuala Kangsar, Jeli and Gua Musang – shifted their allegiance to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Radzi said these four MPs are invited to attend the three-day meeting which takes place at the Ideal Convention Centre (IDCC) in Shah Alam.

Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Radzi said party delegates would have the discretion to pick the issues they want to highlight.

“We are not barring any topics. We leave the issues to the delegates as we believe that they are wise enough to choose subjects which are of benefit to the people and the nation. We hope that they will give quality arguments during the debate sessions after the president’s speech,” he added.

Radzi said there would also be amendments to the party constitution.

Asked whether these amendments were a consequence of the actions of the renegade MPs, Radzi merely said that it was more on “administrative matters”, and that the AGM would kick off with the assemblies of the youth (Armada) and women (Srikandi) wings.

“There will also be conventions of the Srikandi Muda (for young women) and the associate wing (for non-bumiputra). About 760 delegates will attend the Srikandi assembly while another 859 delegates will attend the Armada assembly to be held simultaneously on Thursday. The conventions of the other wings will be held in the night.

“On Friday, the AGM will be opened by party president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. We expect the attendance of 2,045 delegates from all over the country,” said Radzi.

Leaders of Perikatan component parties, he said, had been invited as observers. Radzi said diplomats from countries seen to be backing Israel would not be invited to the AGM.

Bersatu Youth Chief Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal, who was also at the media conference, said invitations had been sent out to foreign missions of Organisation of Islamic Council (OIC) countries and others but not to those whom they felt were supportive of the Israeli attacks against Palestinians.

“A motion to support Palestine will be raised during the AGM,” he said.