PUTRAJAYA, Feb 7 — The PKR political bureau has agreed to let embattled vice president Zuraida Kamaruddin relinquish all her party positions pending the disciplinary proceedings against her, Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said today.
The PKR secretary-general added that party president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had presented Zuraida’s letter on the matter to the political bureau, which deliberated on it before reaching its decision during a meeting Wednesday.
“The political bureau has agreed to her letter in which she has stated her intention to go on leave,” said Saiffudin when met by reporters after a press conference at the Finance Ministry here today.
Zuraida’s political secretary Nor Hizwan Ahmad said on Wednesday that the Ampang MP wrote to Anwar on Monday asking to be excused as a PKR vice president and the head of the party’s Ampang division for the duration of her disciplinary proceedings.
He also said she asked that her disciplinary matter be deferred until she was done with the separate defamation lawsuits filed against her by Saifuddin and Anwar’s political secretary, Farhash Wafa Salvador.
The PKR disciplinary board is investigating Zuraida over her speech at the Renaissance Hotel here last year, when she allegedly mocked party members and divulged details of a private conversation with Anwar.
She also claimed then that Saifuddin had misappropriated funds from a Kelantan state foundation, which prompted him to sue.
PKR issued her a show-cause letter on January 18, which she answered on January 29.
Today, Saifuddin declined to comment on his lawsuit against Zuraida and directed questions to his lawyer.
However, he disclosed that Zuraida has yet to respond.
She previously said she was prepared to fight both lawsuits.
