Pakatan ties can be improved, says Kak Wan
MalaysiaKini.com
Dec 10, 2014

PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail has conceded that communication among Pakatan Rakyat component parties can be improved.

Her comments came after DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang expressed concern as to whether the coalition can survive in the coming years, because its leadership council has not met in the past six months.

“There is talk that Pakatan Rakyat should meet more frequently and perhaps this is aimed more towards PAS.

“Communications still continue between PKR and DAP, as well as PAS, at levels below its president. I believe it can still be improved,” Wan Azizah said at a press conference today, when asked about Lim’s statement on Monday.

“It is no secret that things have not been well in Pakatan, and this is why the Pakatan leadership council has not been able to meet for over six months to reaffirm Pakatan’s common policy framework and the consensus principle...

“(These) are the two key prerequisites to save Pakatan and restore public confidence in it,” Lim had said.

Previously, several DAP leaders have urged PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang to attend the meetings so that consensus can be reached on the matters discussed there.

In response, Hadi said it was up to him whether he wants to attend the meeting or not.

The 14th general election is due by mid-2018. 

Asked whether she thinks Pakatan can continue to stand together, she replied, “God willing.”

Wan Azizah added, “Because I feel that we are all aware of the history of Malaysia, for Pakatan to face BN that has held on to power for so long.

“In the elections, it requires unity among parties so that we can reach a consensus, work together and share the same principles. Then, we can give BN stiff competition.”

At the press conference earlier, Wan Azizah announced that the vice-president of the Islamic missionary group Ikram, Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh, has been appointed PKR information chief, while retired Royal Malaysian Air Force brigadier-general Abdul Hadi Abdul Khatab will head the party’s disciplinary board.

She said that with Syed Ibrahim’s knowledge of Islam, she hopes that he can help unite Malaysians, despite the rising racial and religious extremism.

Syed Ibrahim (right) is known for his activism against the now-abolished Internal Security Act (ISA) as the chairperson of Gerakan Mansuhkan ISA (GMI).

He was also the deputy chairperson of the Bersih steering committee until his resignation in October this year.

As for Abdul Hadi, Wan Azizah said that she hopes he would strengthen the party’s discipline in preparation for the Sarawak state election, which is due by mid-2016.

She said PKR is now the party with the most number of retired military officers in its leadership.

Abdul Hadi was chairperson of PKR’s security council and was among the air force officers dishonourably discharged over the 2010 theft two jet engines, allegedly for negligence.

He has claimed that the charges are false.

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