PETALING JAYA (Feb 24): PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Azmin Ali and vice president Zuraida Kamaruddin have been sacked from the party effective immediately, following a consensus from a meeting of the party’s central leadership council here today.

PKR secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the sacking of the two top party leaders is due to their blatant betrayal of the party’s decision on the position of the prime minister following the duo’s involvement at the infamous dinner meeting yesterday at Sheraton Hotel.

“The central leadership council agreed that there has been an open act of betrayal by some characters who are clearly in conflict with the party's stand on the matter of prime minister. As a result of this open betrayal led by these masterminds, it created a situation that could destabilize the Pakatan Harapan government.

“Therefore the central leadership council unanimously decided in a consensus decision, with no disagreement, that Azmin Ali and Zuraidah Kamaruddin are dismissed as members of PKR with immediate effect, due to the role they played yesterday,” he told a media conference at the party’s headquarters here today.

Besides the sacking of Azmin and Zuraidah, Saifuddin said the party’s disciplinary board will issue show cause letters to other members who were also involved with the duo’s “act of betrayal”.

“The party has identified a number of leaders at all levels, as the masterminds must have their assistants, who have also been identified and will be issued with a show cause letter,” he said.

But separately, Azmin and Zuraida, together with nine other PKR MPs, have issued a joint statement saying they have left PKR to set up an independent bloc in Parliament.

The other nine are: Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah (MP of Indera Mahkota), Baru Bian (Selangau), Datuk Kamaruddin Jaffar (Bandar Tun Razak), Datuk Mansor Othman (Nibong Tebal), Datuk Rashid Hasnon (Batu Pahat), Datuk Seri Dr Santhara Kumar (Segamat), Ali Biju (Saratok), Willie Mongin (Puncak Borneo) and Jonathan Yasin (Ranau).

'The PM's prerogative'
When asked about the premiership position following the rumour that Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has submitted his resignation letter to the Agong, Saifuddin said he is not privy to the matter.

“That is the prime minister's prerogative and I believe that he must have taken the necessary steps, I am not privy to such matters,” Saifuddin said.

Azmin, the MP of Gombak, is also Economic Affairs Minister, while Zuraida is the MP of Amppang and the Housing and Local Government Minister.

The duo, together with several other PKR leaders, were seen fraternising with leaders from the opposition parties at Sheraton Hotel last night, as speculation raged that a new coalition would be set up to take over the government.

So far, party leaders have been tight-lipped as to what was discussed at the gathering, which drew intense media attention.

Meanwhile, Anwar is said to have rushed from the PKR headquarters after the meeting today to meet with the Agong at Istana Negara at 2.30pm.