KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 20 — There will be no disciplinary action against PKR’s deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali, despite his repeated absence from meetings, party’s communications director Ahmad Fahmi Mohamed Fadzil said today.
Fahmi was speaking to the press after PKR’s political bureau meeting in Parliament here, which once again saw Azmin’s absence.
“As far as the political bureau is aware, there is no current disciplinary case against Datuk Seri Azmin, and as such the matter does not arise at this point in time, and I think to draw any parallels with previous cases, they may not be exactly the same.
“So, case by case, I think. That should be the approach,” Fahmi said.
He was asked to comment on why swift disciplinary action was taken against former mentri besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim in 2014, when the latter did not turn up for a meeting with then PKR president, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail despite ample notice, while such action was void towards Azmin.
Khalid was sacked from PKR in 2014, at the height of the Selangor mentri besar crisis, and was replaced with Azmin, who is his staunch critic and nemesis.
During the press conference, Fahmi said that a show-cause letter would also not be issued to Azmin, when asked if he had crossed the line by constantly being absent from meetings and then seen holding meetings with Barisan Nasional (BN) MPs, and later, a selected group of PKR MPs.
“The party has not issued any show-cause letter to Datuk Seri Azmin.
“Ours is still open. We still need to hear from him directly, and I think we will wait.
“We would like him to come and explain,” he said, adding that no timeline was set for this purpose, however.
“Perhaps there are some urgent matters that he has to attend to. Perhaps the media can ask him,” Fahmi said.
PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim yesterday said that his deputy must clarify his meeting with the 22 Umno lawmakers at his home on Monday.
The Port Dickson MP noted that Azmin has been missing from his own party official meet-ups, but will have to attend today’s political bureau meeting and explain the latest incident.
But he hinted that Azmin had not learnt the lesson of inter-party politicking in light of Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) disastrous defeat in the recent Tanjung Piai parliamentary by-election in which its candidate Karmaine Sardini was beaten by BN’s Datuk Seri Wee Jeck Seng by over 15,000 votes.
Azmin, however, has downplayed his meeting with 22 Umno MPs including Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, at his official residence in Putrajaya.
Speaking to the press before another meeting with more lawmakers at his office in Parliament yesterday, the economic affairs minister claimed he met with anyone interested in seeing him.
When asked whether he will attend his party’s political bureau meeting scheduled today, to explain the meeting as Anwar said he should, Azmin said he would attend if his schedule allows.
It was reported that 22 Umno MPs met with some PH counterparts at Azmin’s official residence last night.
Among those who attended were Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin, Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Kamarudin Jaffar, Sembrong MP Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and Cameron Highlands MP Ramli Mohd Noor.
Yesterday, Deputy Speaker Datuk Rashid Hasnon, Petaling Jaya MP Maria Chin Abdullah and Nibong Tebal MP Associate Professor Datuk Mansor Othman were seen entering Azmin’s office in the Parliament building.
It was reported earlier that Azmin had another meeting with PKR representatives, in Parliament.
