A PKR insider says grassroot members aren’t keen on Tengku Zafrul Aziz joining the party but will concede if leaders, especially Anwar Ibrahim, think it’s a good move.
00:00A political analyst has warned that members of PKR will be unhappy if the party orders Salangor Menteri Bersar Amiruddin Shari to vacate his seat to make way for Tenggu Zafrul Aziz.
00:14James Chin of the University of Tasmania said such a move would damage PKR's image, which already took a hit after its party elections, in which Nurul Izzah Anwar ousted Rafizi Ramli as Deputy President.
00:27He said the timing of a Kajang Move 2.0 would be critical if PKR really were to carry it out, especially amid lingering public resentment over perceived nepotism, with Nurul Izzah serving as Deputy to her father and PKR President Anwar Ibrahim.
00:43On Tuesday, Amiruddin denied claims he was set to vacate his Sungai Tuwa seat to allow Tenggu Zafrul, who recently quit ABNO, to contest in the ensuing by-election on a PKR ticket and then go on to become the next Menteri Bersar.
00:58He added that he did not want to see a repeat of the Kajang move, referring to PKR's plan in 2014 to trigger a by-election in the Kajang state seat to install Anwar as the Salangor Menteri Bersar to replace ABNO Khalid Ibrahim, who was seen as going against party policies.
01:16Separately, a party leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, said many in PKR's rank and file were uneasy about Tenggu Zafrul joining the party.
01:26The leader said Tenggu Zafrul must prove his value to the party, which will make it easier for members to accept him.
