KUCHING: The Sarawak Youth chief of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Saifunnizam Sam is supporting the party’s central leadership in proceeding with the upcoming ‘Keadilan Sarawak Convention’ in Miri.
In a statement issued yesterday, he said he had chosen to distance himself from the stand made by PKR Sarawak State Leadership Council (MPN)’s stand to call off the convention, scheduled to be held this Nov 23.
“I must stress here that the Keadilan Sarawak Convention must go on as it is an important event for us in the party to prepare ourselves for the next state election, which is expected anytime soon.
“This convention is actually a platform for grassroots party members to interact
and exchange ideas with the party leaders, especially our president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. It is also a platform for party leaders to respond to issues that matter to the delegates,” he said.
Saifunnizam also called upon PKR leaders to show quality leadership so that the people’s confidence in the party would not be eroded, and also for them (leaders) to prove their capacity and ability in running the state’s administration should they come to power.
“I share the feelings of the members who are worried that the convention is being cancelled because they really want to come and have made due preparations to go to the venue in Miri,” he said, adding that there were also prior talks about the convention’s possible relocation to Kuching.
On Friday, PKR Central leadership had overruled its Sarawak chapter’s decision to cancel the upcoming state-level convention, as the internal party rift had widened over disagreement with the decision to snub PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Azmin Ali at the party’s Youth Congress in Melaka next month.
PKR Central Leadership Council member Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, who is the director of PKR conventions nationwide, said the party’s Sarawak convention in Miri on Nov 23 would go ahead as scheduled.
He also denied the claim by PKR Sarawak chief Baru Bian and seven other state party leaders that PKR had turned its back on democracy by making unilateral decisions.
Earlier on Friday, the MPN of PKR Sarawak led by Baru as its chairman, said they called off the upcoming state-level convention in protest of the move to stop Azmin from officiating at the
party’s Youth Congress – also known as Angkatan Muda Keadilan (AMK) National Convention.
In a joint statement, the PKR MPN Sarawak said they were dismayed and disturbed that Azmin’s invitation to officiate at the youth convention was rescinded by the AMK National wing leader and all the AMK state chiefs unilaterally.