This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily on July 19, 2019

KUALA LUMPUR: PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim yesterday refuted claims he viewed his deputy Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali as a threat to his taking over the prime minister’s mantle from Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad when the latter retires.

“There is no issue, the MPs (members of parliment) are with me. Pakatan Harapan has made a categorical stand that there is no change [on who becomes the prime minister next], and the prime minister and I have weekly meetings.

“I have the numbers, the support of Pakatan and the prime minister. It is not fair to me or Azmin to indicate otherwise,” Anwar told reporters in parliament lobby yesterday when asked if he was calling for the resignation of Mohamed Azmin, who is embroiled in a sex video scandal, because he viewed the latter as a threat.

On whether the the sex video scandal has the potential to break up the Pakatan government, Anwar said it would not be an issue as the coalition is united and above “gutter politics”.

On Wednesday, Anwar had called on Mohamed Azmin to resign if it was proven that the latter was one of the two men shown engaging in sexual acts in a series of videos that have gone viral. Mohamed Azmin, in return, told Anwar to look in the mirror first, to reflect on his own actions.

On this, Anwar  said his remarks on Mohamed Azmin had been taken out of context by the latter. “(Mohamed) Azmin, I give him deference, he is undergoing a very difficult period. I will simply not respond to some of his spontaneous outbursts,” Anwar said.

As to whether he had spoken to Mohamed Azmin since the exchange, Anwar said he had ­— two times — adding he had also offered his help to Mohamed Azmin if needed. Earlier yesterday, a group of senior PKR members, led by vice-presidents (VPs) Zuraida Kamaruddin, Tian Chua and Ali Biju, issued a joint press release to tell off the president over his inappropriate statement to

Mohamed Azmin, saying it was based on speculative assertions that remained unproven.

Asked about this, Anwar said the joint statement was not intended as a rebuke to his leadership but a reminder to keep the party united. “What they mean is to ensure the party doesn’t appear to be too tense, so they reminded that statements I make should have a unifying effect. I accept their views ... I think it (the joint statement) is positive.

“I think I need to be magnanimous enough to accept the fact that I need to lead a coherent, united party. But that doesn’t in any way create any threat, break up, or dissension,” he added.

Up to Anwar to amend cracks in PKR, says Zuraida

Zuraida, separately, said cracks have already appeared in her party and that they need to be smoothed out as soon as possible. “It is time for PKR to start consolidating and strengthening the party. It is up to the president (Anwar) to clean up our backyard,” Zuraida told reporters, adding it is high time for the party, which is now in government, to sit down together and chart its way forward.

“The fact is we have made the statement and he (Anwar) has accepted the criticism, so I hope something good will come of it,” she added.

Among those who signed the joint statement were: Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah, Baru Bian, Wanita PKR chief Haniza Talha, Datuk Seri Edmund Santhara, Amirudin Shaari, Datuk Rashid Hasnon, Sivarasa Rasiah, Rahimah Majid, Elizabeth Wong, Zakaria Abdul Hamid, Mohd Razlan Jalaludin, Datuk Mansor Othman, Datuk Kamaruddin Jaafar, Azmizam Zaman Huri, Gan Pei Nei, Hee Loy Sian, Lee Kai Loon, Daroyah Alwi and Muhammad Hilman Idham.

After the joint statement was released, another PKR VP, Dr Xavier Jayakumar, also appended his signature to the document.

The statement was also supported by five PKR federal lawmakers, namely Steven Chong (Tebrau), Jonathan Yasin (Ranau), Willy Mongin (Puncak Borneo) Maria Chin Abdullah (Petaling Jaya), and Chan Ming Kai (Alor Setar).

In the statement, the group said Anwar should be focusing on the key issue that there has been an organised attempt to use gutter politics to bring down political leaders.They also said when the sex video first emerged, Anwar had said Mohamed Azmin need not resign.

Additionally, they reminded Anwar that since Reformasi, the party has defended him against identical tactics using sex videos and other means of gutter politics even when the police chief in 2011 had declared a sex video implicating him as genuine.

“He should remember that (Mohamed) Azmin has defended him and his family for more than 20 years against the same type of gutter politics. We reiterate that the party must stand firm against the kind of gutter politics used against Azmin Ali. We will stand with Azmin Ali and any other leader who are attacked using such unethical methods,” they added.

The group also urged Anwar as the party president to stop making divisive statements. “We call upon him to work instead to unite the party in the interest of our members, Pakatan Harapan and our country,” they added.