KOTA KINABALU – After seventeen divisional chiefs called for the ouster of Christina Liew as Sabah PKR chairman, the youth bodies of the party are also coming out to voice their dissatisfaction with their leader.
While the Sabah PKR leadership has made it clear that internal conflict should not be made public, it seems their opposition of Datuk Christina Liew is hitting boiling point.
A youth chief of the party who wished to speak on condition of anonymity said it is a “full war” against Liew and the state leadership council.
“This is a full attack against them. If the president (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) refuses to hear our calls, we will also give Anwar a piece of our mind,” said the source.
According to the source, Liew is now on a road trip to meet all the divisional chiefs to renew their support for her but has apparently failed to gather the numbers.
The source also said that only three divisional youth wings are still supporting Liew, while the rest are against her.
The Vibes yesterday reported that seventeen of the 26 divisional chiefs have made a call for Liew’s ouster directly to Anwar.
The PKR youth wings of Sipitang and Keningau today also voiced the dissatisfaction with the alleged lacklustre performance of Sabah PKR after Liew assumed chairmanship.
Liew took over the position following the resignation of the late Datuk Seri Lajim Ukin in 2016.
Mohd Raffi Jamaluddin, the Keningau divisional youth chief, claimed that Liew does not have the willpower and spirit of Anwar, adding that she has allowed seats once dominated by PKR to be taken by others.
Raffi was referring to the reduced seats the party was allowed to contest in the last general election in May 2018 and the Sabah election in September last year, after forming a team with Upko, DAP and Warisan.
“Sabah PKR needs an aggressive leader. As a result of being weak, the youth bodies have been sidelined.
“We need a chairman who is active and constantly on the field to strengthen PKR in facing the forthcoming federal election,” he said.
Raffi’s view is shared by the Sipitang youth chief Presley Kurus who alleged that Liew had never once visited Sipitang and organised programmes for those in his area, as well as never assisted party machinery, youth movements and the state women and Srikandi movements.
“We want Anwar to take action immediately before the crisis in Sabah PKR worsens.
“I am upbeat Anwar will heed the call of the seventeen divisional chiefs who have given him their statutory declarations (SDs),” he said, referring to the SDs to express withdrawal of support for Liew.
Presley said five divisions have chosen to be neutral and four supported Liew, while 17 divisional chiefs have gone against her.
“Liew no longer has two-thirds support and therefore Anwar must take this as the voice of the party grassroots,” he claimed.
Liew told The Vibes yesterday that she will not respond to the detractors.
Yesterday, state PKR information chief Chrisnadia Sinam came out in defence of Liew, characterising the call for her to be replaced as nothing more than an attempt to destroy the state chapter’s image.
She said the statement by PKR Tawau division chief Tommy Thomas asking Anwar to have Liew removed ignores her contributions to the party. – The Vibes, December 3, 2021
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