Azmin Ali set to ditch Pakatan Rakyat?

Anwar Ibrahim’s right-hand man Mohamed Azmin Ali is purportedly set to ditch Parti Keadilan Rakyat and the Pakatan Rakyat coalition.

According to party sources, the 49-year-old politician wants to leave the coalition ‘due to his dissatisfaction over the allocation of Selangor state executive committee seats among Pakatan members.’

It is believed that 11 senior Pakatan figures – said to be newly elected Members of Parliament - are set to follow Azmin out the door.

Azmin’s absence from the mammoth Pakatan Rakyat rally fronted by leader Anwar Ibrahim in Kelana Jaya, Selangor on Wednesday night has not gone unnoticed, thanks in no small part to Azmin’s scathing Tweets about the event.

On Twitter, he slammed Pakatan for organising the rally, urging the coalition to accept their loss at the recently concluded 13th General Election. 

Azmin tweeted, “Rakyat letih dengan asakan politik melampau. Terima hukuman, muhasabah diri, akui kelemahan, maju ke hadapan, tumpu rakyat bukan kerabat.” (The people are tired over the excessive political pressure. Accept the punishment, judge yourselves, admit weakness, progress and focus on the people, not kinship).

The 46-year-old Azmin is reportedly one of those battling to become the new Selangor Menteri Besar. Several candidates’ names, including PAS’ Ahmad Yunus Hairi, have surfaced. However, incumbent Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim is believed to be the Pakatan Rakyat leadership’s choice to keep his position.

Attempts to contact Azmin by Yahoo Malaysia, have so far been unsuccessful. Sinar Harian, however, quoted Azmin as saying that he wants to 'save PKR from any form of nepotism that could erode the public's trust in the party'.

He further denied rumours that he was set to leave the party along with other members of parliament.

"I will not abandon this noble fight and will never betray the trust of the people who want change," he said.