KUALA LUMPUR – The prospect of seeing the faces of PAS leaders on billboards across Selangor, should the party win state power, was partly behind Rafizi Ramli’s decision to return to active politics in March last year.
The PKR deputy president said this himself during the party’s Selangor election convention today, saying that while he enjoyed his time out of politics, he could not imagine looking at photos of PAS leaders along the roads.
“After (Pakatan Harapan) lost in the Johor election, I was driving home and saw a billboard with (Selangor Menteri Besar) Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari’s face on a billboard in Bukit Antarabangsa.
“I thought to myself, what happens if we lose Selangor next? I will be staring at PAS’ faces here everyday. Everywhere I go, there will be pak lebai.
“I don’t think I can live long there, because for 15 years, we have not seen such things,” he said, referring to the time PH has been in power in Selangor.
“I may not have said this before, but this was one of the reasons why I decided to rejoin politics.”
Rafizi said this in rallying party grassroots and machinery to remain united ahead of the state elections due by the middle of this year.
“So, even if there are any dissatisfactions, please remember, if you don’t close ranks and really focus on winning the election, we will be forced to also look at Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali’s face,” he said in a dig at the former PKR number two, who has since left for Bersatu.
Rafizi had, in December 2019, announced his decision to quit active politics to focus on his new career in artificial intelligence and the internet of things.
However, in March this year, just months ahead of the party election, he declared his return and said he would be contesting for the deputy president's post.
He had said that this was motivated by PH’s poor performances in the Sabah, Melaka, Sarawak, and Johor elections, and his objection to the idea of cooperating with Perikatan Nasional, among others, to take on Barisan Nasional in the 15th general election.
Meanwhile, earlier in his speech, Rafizi said incumbent Selangor assemblymen should also shoulder the responsibility of ensuring a victory in the state, and that it is incumbent on them to be closer to the rakyat and mend any broken ties with party members in their respective divisions.
“If there are certain things the rakyat don’t agree with, then stop doing them. If the people think you are unreachable, then put your feet back on the ground. If in the past few years, you seldom met the party grassroots, then do it now.
“There may have been multiple factions in a particular constituency when the party entered its internal election last year. But now, please meet with all these groups (and mend ties).” – The Vibes, January 14, 2022
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