KUALA LUMPUR – PKR information chief Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin has reiterated the party’s stance that Perikatan Nasional is desperate to court support from opposition MPs to secure its legitimacy.
“They (PN) are either threatening these MPs or offering them rewards to gain support. This is something that the rakyat know and will be able to judge as time passes by," he told Astro Awani in a live phone session today.
On the decision by PKR vice-president Datuk Xavier Jayakumar to leave the party and support PN, the Hang Tuah Jaya MP said the betrayal further illustrates that the ruling coalition is desperate enough to do almost anything to hang on to power.
“It is an advantage for the party to build upon Xavier and the others who choose to leave the party and betray the people’s mandate.
“When they leave, the party clears itself of elements that can compromise it. As we prepare for the 15th general election, the party will be able to field candidates who are better and have more integrity instead.”
Apologising to the PKR grassroots and voters for recent defections, Shamsul Iskandar admitted that the party is facing unprecedented challenges posed by a minority government.
“Despite the recent events, the party remains firm in championing integrity, fulfilling our promises to the people, and ensuring that the country's economy continues to recover.
“We are also determined to end the ‘dirty politics’ played by PN.”
Xavier this morning said he has quit as PKR vice-president and member effective immediately, opting to support the PN government as an independent MP.
“Throughout my career as a politician, I have been with PKR since 1998,” he said in a brief statement.
“However, following the events that have unfolded in this past year, I have grown extremely frustrated.”
He said he will continue to serve his constituency, Kuala Langat, and support the government as an independent lawmaker.
Prior to his departure, Julau MP Larry Sng and Steven Choong of Tebrau quit PKR last month.
Sng and Choong also signed statutory declarations pledging support for Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and PN. – The Vibes, March 13, 2021
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