KUCHING, April 14 — Sarawak PKR information and communication chief Abun Sui Anyit today urged party members not to go overboard while throwing their support for the two PKR deputy presidential candidates in next month’s party election.

He said during the previous party elections when supporters campaigned for the then incumbent deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali and challenger Rafizi Ramli — former Pandan Member of Parliament, party members from both camps became hostile to each other.

"The Sarawak PKR was deeply divided into two camps, with one supporting Azmin and the other supporting Rafizi, and this had considerably weakened the party in the state,” Abun said when asked if the State PKR had given instruction to party members on who to support in the contest for the PKR deputy presidency between Rafizi and PKR secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.

Azmin had since left PKR, along with 10 other MPs, with most of them joining Parti Pribumi Malaysia Bersatu (Bersatu).

Among the MPs are Datuk Willie Mongin (Puncak Borneo) and Datuk Ali Biju (Saratok), with both joining Bersatu, while Selangau MP and former state PKR chief Baru Bian joined Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB).

Abun, who is Hulu Rajang branch chairman, said the state leadership will not influence party members on who to support for the deputy president’s post.

"They are free to support whoever they want to be the deputy president. It is up to their conscience either to support Rafizi or Saifuddin,” he said.

He said both Rafizi and Saifuddin are expected to be in Sarawak to campaign for support from party members.

"We also will not ask our members or branches to specifically support any candidate to be the vice-president,” he said.

He said he will defend his post of Hulu Rajang branch’s chairman in the branch election.