KUALA LUMPUR (July 18): Several members of the central committee & Keadilan (PKR) MPs have asserted that party president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s statement that his deputy Datuk Seri Azmin Ali should resign, in the event if it is proven that he is the one implicated in a series of sex videos that have gone viral, was inappropriate and is based on speculative assertions.

In a joint statement today, a group of 22 members of the Supreme Council as well as four MPs said they were of the view that this statement is inappropriate and is based on speculative assertions.

The group included PKR’s Zuraida Kamaruddin, Chua Tian Chang, Ali Biju, Datuk Seri Dr Santhara, Sivarasara Rasiah, Elizabeth Wong, Baru Bian as well as MPs Steven Choong, Jonathan Yasin, Willy Mongin and Maria Chin Abdullah.

“He should be focusing on the key issue here which is that there is an organised attempt to use gutter politics to bring down political leaders.

“He should be more concerned about the criminal offences committed by this group who have systematically and widely distributed a video displaying sexual acts,” they said.

They pointed out that when the sex video first emerged, Anwar had made a different statement saying that Azmin need not resign from his position.

Additionally, the group 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 declared a sex video implicating him as genuine.

“He should remember that 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 said.

The group also urged Anwar as the Party President to stop making such 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 said.