AYER KEROH, Dec 6 ― Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail today expressed regret over the violence that broke out on the street outside the Melaka International Trade Centre (MITC) here where PKR is holding its annual congress.

Dr Wan Azizah, who is also PKR advisory council chairman, said everyone should have kept a cool head and avoided provoking one another.

“We want our democracy to be peaceful and good. That is what we want. This cannot be our culture, we are Malaysians, we can sit down and talk to each other and resolve it nicely,” she told reporters on the sidelines after attending the closing ceremony of the congress.

She also admitted the existence of agents provocateurs within the party, but stopped short of naming anyone and instead urged all parties to allow the authorities to conduct their investigations.

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Dr Wan Azizah said the party was merely obeying instructions from the Registrar of Societies (RoS) in dismissing former PKR Youth’s permanent chairman Muhamad Mizan Adli Mohd Nor from the party.

The PKR Youth congress was interrupted repeatedly this morning when a group of people tried to smuggle Muhamad Mizan into the event, clashing with those trying to stop them.

He was sacked just ahead of the congress and previously insisted he will attend to open the assembly.

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Following today’s violent outbreak, PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim directed the PKR disciplinary board to expel any member involved in disrupting the Youth wing’s national congress.

When asked why clashes between party members have persisted since the party’s inception over 20 years ago, Dr Wan Azizah attributed it to the party’s dynamic.

“It’s the dynamic, it’s the party. In any party, there is a dynamic. If it is a dead party, boring lah,” she said.

On PKR Youth deputy chief Muhammad Hilman Idham and several other wing leaders’ demand to boycott the congress on security factors, Dr Wan Azizah said Hilman can come and go as he wished as it was a party congress after all.

“Want to come, come. This is our congress right, they are delegates, they are welcome to come,” she said.

When pressed further, Dr Wan Azizah then asked Hilman to attend meetings before ending the press conference.

Earlier, Hilman said the majority of PKR Youth’s Central Leadership Council members wanted the party’s top leadership to guarantee their safety after a series of violent outbreaks that marred the congress this morning.

The group also wants RoS to declare the youth congress null and void, so that the congress can be held again at another date.