Perkasa endorses Mustaffa Kamil in PKR vote

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 4 — Malay rights group Perkasa urged PKR members today to reject Azmin Ali as party deputy president and to instead vote for Mustaffa Kamil Ayub.

Perkasa Youth chief Arman Azha Abu Hanifah said Mustaffa was a more qualified candidate for the deputy presidency because of his Abim roots.

“Mustaffa is from Abim, he holds true to the Islamic agenda and fights for the betterment of the Malays... Azmin, on the other hand, is not interested to fight for the betterment of the Malay community.

“Azmin is only fit to become Anwar’s coffee boy,” said Arman (picture).

The Perkasa man slammed Azmin for his remarks made yesterday during the Gombak PKR AGM.

Azmin said yesterday that he would personally fight against Perkasa and “individuals behind the organisation” in a thinly-veiled reference to Perkasa patron Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

“Azmin should show some respect to a statesman who has done so much for this country. Azmin is not fit to become a politician,” said Arman.

Dr Mahathir is currently in a hospital in Melbourne receiving treatment for flu and cough.

The hotly-contested fight for deputy presidency has revealed deep divisions within PKR and thrown the party’s commitment to direct elections into sharp focus.

Azmin, who is also Selangor chief, is believed to be Pakatan Rakyat (PR) defacto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s preferred choice, while Datuk Zaid Ibrahim is said to be popular with Sabah and Sarawak and non-Malay members in the country’s largest multi-racial political party.

PKR amended its constitution last year to give one member one vote in direct elections.

Last month, some 400,000 PKR members began voting for divisional leaders and the 25 members of the central leadership council, including president, deputy president and four vice-presidents.

The party’s 218 divisions will hold two separate meetings, one for the annual general meeting and election of divisional leaders, and a second to vote for national leaders.

The divisions will vote for national leaders on weekends, from October 29 to November 21.