PKR polls won't divide party or affect unity, says Saifuddin
PUTRAJAYA: The ongoing campaign for the PKR party election may be competitive, but Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail is optimistic that it will not cause division among members or affect unity in the party.
The Home Minister, who is also a PKR central leadership council member, said the party has always placed the welfare of the people and the interests of the nation as its priority.
"Nothing is impossible in politics, especially in the lead-up to party elections. PKR is, at the very least, a party that has won 30 seats in past general elections. Leading up to 2025, the party elections will unfold with all sorts of styles and all sorts of candidates.
"Some win, some lose, some leave the party. It's all part of it. But at the end of the day, what is the benchmark? It's whether the party is accepted by the people when it contests in a general election.
"I would say that for a party that is relatively new after Umno. It's the party that wins the fewest seats. This shows that Keadilan is a political party that has a place in the country's political landscape," he told reporters at a conference after the Immigration Department's Excellent Service Award ceremony.
Saifuddin was asked on Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli's campaign, which was seen as frequently naming specific PKR leaders, and the possible implications it may have on members who will be voting at the end of the month.
Asked on the debate between Rafizi and PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar, Saifuddin stressed that the debate should be viewed from a particular perspective.
He said PKR has reached 26 years of existence, and its party elections are usually held in a lively atmosphere.
"It's like this, a debate is just one method. It depends on whether the candidates choose to accept or decline it. It's called an offer, not a compulsion," he said.
Previously, it was reported that Rafizi has expressed his readiness to engage in an open debate with Nurul Izzah as they vie for the deputy presidency in the upcoming PKR party elections.
Rafizi, who is seeking to defend his position as deputy president, said he welcomed the suggestion from grassroots members for a face-to-face debate with his fellow contender – provided it is organised by an independent third party.
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