PKR Youth chief plays down deputy’s wing ‘meeting’, calls it a ‘ceramah’

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 21 — PKR Youth chief Akmal Nasir today denied his deputy’s impromptu meeting last night with a select group of members to express support for party deputy president Datuk Seri Azmin Ali has been sanctioned by the wing.

The Johor Baru MP described Hilman Idham’s get-together in Rumah Pemuda, Shah Alam with several other aligned PKR Youth branch leaders as a “ceramah” instead, saying the event had not followed protocol.

“If you want to organise a meeting, a notice must be issued two weeks prior by the secretary and the meeting must have enough quorum. The issue that it was a AMK meeting is not true. For me, it’s a ceramah,” he told reporters at Parliament, using the Malay abbreviation for the wing.

Akmal said protocol also dictates formal wing meetings be held at the party headquarters in Petaling Jaya and not “someone’s home”.

PKR’s factionalism resurfaced as Akmal — seen to be aligned to party president Datu Seri Anwar Ibrahim — pointed out that his deputy — seen as a strongman for Azmin — had only attended one official AMK meeting this year and had been absent from seven or eight others.

Akmal advised his deputy to focus on party unity and to move forward, dismissing claims that Hilman has the support of the majority of AMK branch leaders.

“If you want to represent the party, you must follow the party, attend meetings. If you missed seven to eight meetings, how do you represent the interest of the party and then claim you have more than a hundred AMK with you?

“For me, we should maintain the party line. The central committee consists of 49 members that can vote, make a decision and then another 20 bureau chiefs. That’s it,” Akmal said.

In a press conference after the Shah Alam meeting, Hilman insisted that Azmin be reinstated as the guest of honour at the wing’s assembly next month, saying it was tradition and convention.

He also claimed the backing of the AMK with 132 out of 196 divisions backing Azmin.

But Akmal confirmed that former party president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail will officiate the Youth Congress.

Azmin and Anwar had been at loggerheads and the rift has spread to their respective supporters.

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