SHAH ALAM – PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is “only human”, but remains the best person to lead the party and the Pakatan Harapan coalition, as well as the party’s prime minister candidate, said long-time supporter Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
Saifuddin said while Anwar is “only human”, party members should give their loyalty to him and express their criticism in a respectful manner.
“(Anwar) has his weaknesses and strengths but since he is our highest party leader, we must hold him in high esteem and any warnings or challenges should be done in a disciplined manner,” he said during his officiating speech at the PKR Youth congress here today.
He added that the party is prepared to head into the 15th general election (GE15) with the goal to become government and will put forward Anwar as its prime minister candidate.
“If the people give us the mandate (to become government) then Anwar is our best candidate for the post of prime minister. Our direction is very clear,” he said, brushing aside rebukes from party members and outsiders.
“People have been labelling him as a liability for years now but PKR still manages to win seats contested for during general elections,” he said, adding that he considers such attacks to be part and parcel of the fight for reformation.
His statements in support of Anwar were met by cheers and applause from the crowd of youth members.
Not contesting his seat in the party’s recent polls, Anwar will retain his PKR presidency for the 2022-2024 term.
Meanwhile, Saifuddin lost the deputy presidency to Rafizi Ramli, after failing to secure a majority after ballots were tabulated in 13 state chapters.
However, Saifuddin is expected to be reappointed secretary-general.
Besides that, the Kulim-Bandar Baharu MP said that based on a retreat PKR leaders had organised in Johor in March, it was decided that the party would put forth several solutions for plights faced by the people as part of its GE15 manifesto.
“The cause behind all the nation’s problems is its failure in combating corruption. For the betterment of citizens, PKR must come forward and show that we will not tolerate corrupt practices,” he said.
Adding that the party could no longer rely on sympathy or scandals to gain an upper hand in the elections, he said that the nation’s economy must be restructured, prioritising innovative efforts by small and medium enterprises over big corporations.
“We must also ensure that there is a social safety net for our people, especially as we are still dealing with the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said, noting that the party will push for a universal basic income policy that will ensure a respectable wage for employees.
Commenting on the lack of manpower in the agriculture industry, Saifuddin asserted that it is now time for the nation to move towards strengthening its robotics and automation industry. – The Vibes, July 15, 2022
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