PUTRAJAYA: There should not be a split in PKR into two different camps, says Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
He said he met with deputy president Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli on Monday (April 21) to discuss current matters in the party.
“We agreed that we both remain committed to (strengthening) the party and that the election process was democratic (and followed) the party constitution.
“I do not want there to be a dichotomy of 'Saifuddin’s people' or 'Rafizi’s people'.
"As the Prime Minister said, we are all the party’s people.
“This is a party of reform, and democracy can never die. Elections are a celebration of democracy and there will be those who are chosen and those who are not," he said.
Saifuddin, who is a former PKR secretary-general, said losing in the party polls did not mean getting sidelined as long as the individual was still committed to the cause.
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“Look at me. I’ve lost more times than I’ve won and I’m still here.
“It also doesn’t mean that if you are a big name, such as a minister or a deputy minister, that you will automatically win.
"The party election is dynamic and is a process of ‘refreshment’,” he added, referring to recent results in the PKR divisional elections where prominent members of government were defeated.
Among them are Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Christina Liew, who lost in Kota Kinabalu; Deputy Energy Transition and Water Transformation Minister Akmal Nasir, in Johor Baru; and Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad in Setiawangsa.
Saifuddin then added that those who believe there is outside influence or "tangan ajaib" (mysterious hands) in the PKR divisional elections can raise their concerns at a special party meeting on Wednesday (April 23).
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“That is the best platform for them to give their views,” the Home Minister said after chairing the ministry's monthly meeting here on Tuesday (April 22).
Saifuddin, who is Pakatan Harapan secretary-general, also said he had not decided yet if he would vie for the PKR deputy presidency in next month's central leadership elections.
