Three PKR federal lawmakers, including Bayan Baru MP Datuk Seri Zahrain Hashim (pic) who is disgruntled with ally Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, have denied speculation that they are crossing over to rivals Barisan Nasional (BN).The other two are Merbok MP Datuk Rashid Din from Kedah and Indera Mahkota MP Azan Ismail, who just quit as deputy chief of Pahang PKR. Both confirmed they will attend a special PKR supreme council meeting this morning to be chaired by de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Anwar, who has just returned from Manila where he met prospective Filipino presidential candidates, had claimed that 30 BN MPs would cross over in September 2008 to form a Pakatan Rakyat federal government. He called for a meeting today, the second this past week, to discuss disciplinary matters in the party.
Zahrain did not attend the PKR supreme council meeting last Tuesday but resumed his simmering feud with Lim the next day, calling the DAP secretary-general a “dictator, a chauvinist and communist-minded” in managing Penang.
PKR forms the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) coalition with DAP and PAS.
The former Penang PKR chief has been incommunicado for the past four days but was quoted in the Sinar Harian newspaper today as saying “it hasn’t crossed my mind” to leave his party.
“Although I am uncomfortable with the developments in PKR, it hasn’t crossed my mind to leave the party as I still want to make the party struggle a success,” he was quoted as saying.
“I will be with PKR although there are many issues I don’t agree with.
“I hope there will be changes within PKR as promised to the people,” said the former Umno warlord.
Penang Deputy Chief Minister I Dr Mansor Othman had confirmed to The Malaysian Insider yesterday that three or four MPs wanted to leave PKR. But the Penang PKR chief declined to give details.
“Incorrect, incorrect,” Rashid told The Malaysian Insider when asked about speculation he was one of those contemplating a jump to BN.
He denied receiving any offer to jump from Umno or BN, who need 11 more lawmakers in the 222-seat Dewan Rakyat for a two-thirds majority to pass any constitutional amendments.
“I have a post, I have a family, wife and children, what else do I need?” he said with a laugh when contacted last night, adding he was on his way to attend this morning’s PKR meeting.
He dismissed rumours of his departure as nonsense, which came after he quit all party posts in Pahang to remain an ordinary PKR member.
“I have already clarified I want to focus at the federal level, so there is no question of me leaving the party,” Azan said, repeating the speculation was “nonsense”.
Balik Pulau MP Yusmadi Yusof said he has to study the media reports before giving a response, adding he was feeling unwell after returning from a conference in Manila.
Kulim-Bandar Baharu MP Zulkifli Noordin also confirmed three days ago to The Malaysian Insider that he had no intention of quitting the party despite facing another disciplinary hearing, this time for lodging a police report against PAS Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad over the latter’s support for the “Allah” ruling.
Zulkifli expressed confidence that he can explain his motives for the police report at the hearing scheduled within a month. There has been constant speculation that the ex-PAS member would leave PKR over ideological clashes since winning a seat under the party banner in 2008.
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