KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 11 — Hit by statewide defections, PKR will revise its constitution to give more leeway to party leaders in Sabah, the opposition party’s deputy president said today.
Azmin Ali (picture) said that after the amendment is tabled on November 24, there should no longer be any concerns about PKR’s headquarters in Petaling Jaya, Selangor interfering with the Sabah chapter’s leadership and policies.
“They’re given full autonomy to decide on their own, but certainly, from time to time, they’ll discuss with the leadership at the central level because we want to ensure that the policy that they propose must be in the framework of national policy and also the federal constitution,” Azmin told reporters at the Parliament lobby here.
“I am not saying it is normal to quit the party but in the process of our struggle, some leaders and members facing political fatigue cannot continue with the struggle. But I must remind others that it is a marathon. We continue to struggle for the people. They were given the mandate by people to support the reform and changes undertaken by Pakatan Rakyat (PR),” added the Gombak MP.
Kadamaian assemblyman Jeremy Malajad quit all his party posts and relinquished his PKR membership last Monday to become a Barisan Nasional (BN)-friendly independent state assemblyman.
Sabah PKR vice-chairman Datuk Jelani Hamdan, who is the Matunggong assemblyman, also quit the PR lynchpin last Friday, citing unhappiness with party leaders, but did not say if he would join BN.
Jelani had said that he and Malajad were unhappy over the lack of KadazanDusun-Murut representation in the Borneo state’s top leadership.
Azmin also said today that PKR will organise a training programme to produce “good quality leaders and party members”.
The first opposition assemblyman to turn independent was Luyang assemblyman and former Sabah DAP chief Dr Hew King Cheu, who resigned as the state party advisor after it was long speculated that he would leave the party.
