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Wednesday, 11 August 2010

Zaid denies gunning for PKR No 2 post

PETALING JAYA: PKR supreme council member Zaid Ibrahim has denied media speculation that he will be vying for the deputy president post in the coming party elections.

In a brief statement today, the former law minister and PKR Federal Territories chief dismissed the media reports as untrue.

“I have no plans nor interest to fight for any party position. I will serve the party in whatever position chosen supported and endorsed by (PKR supremo) Anwar Ibrahim,” he said.

“My priorities are strenghtening PKR and Pakatan Rakyat in ensuring victory in the next general election,” he added.

The deputy president post is expected to witness a tussle after its incumbent Syed Husin Ali is not expected to defend it.

The favourite to fill up the vacancy is current vice-president and Gombak MP Azmin Ali, the former political aide of Anwar when the latter was deputy prime minister.

However, speculation is rife that Zaid, a former Umno MP, might attempt to go for the seat during the party's November polls.

There is also talk of friction between Azmin's camp and Zaid, with the former seeing the latter as a threat to their political advancement.

During April's Hulu Selangor by-election where Zaid was defeated by Barisan Nasional's P Kamalanathan, allegations of sabotage had emerged.

Certain quarters claimed that Azmin's camp had deliberately worked against the PKR candidate, fearing that if Zaid was victorious, it would put him on equal standing with Azmin as a MP and further strengthen his clout in the party.

However, Azmin and other PKR leaders denied this, while Zaid remained tightlipped on the matter.

Zaid had joined PKR in June 2009 after quitting Umno.

In September 2008, he relinquished his ministerial post after disagreeing with the government's decision to arrest opposition leader, Teresa Kok, popular blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin and a Chinese daily reporter under the Internal Security Act.

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