Rafizi warns Malacca PKR against taking shortcuts

Rafizi warns Malacca PKR against taking shortcuts

PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli has joined the chorus of disapproval over the party's reception of four former state assemblypersons who caused the collapse of the Malacca government.

Rafizi wrote on his Facebook page today said the quartet has a "bad record" and one of them had a tendency to be foul-mouthed.

"That's not the candidate we want put up," wrote Rafizi, who has rarely commented on politics since late 2018.

Rafizi (above) suggested that the party's recent ties with the four may be linked to the ambitions of some Malacca PKR leaders, who want to be "orang besar" (eyeing important positions) in Malacca.

"However, don't let these ambitions influence decisions that include shortcuts," said Rafizi.

"These are my views as a responsible Malaysian, voter and veteran PKR and Pakatan Harapan activist. If you don't want to listen, it's okay. The people will judge."

The four are Idris Haron (former Sungai Udang assemblyperson), Nor Azman Hassan (Pantai Kundor), Noor Effandi Ahmad (Telok Mas) and Norhizam Hassan Baktee (Pengkalan Batu).

Warmly received

On Monday, Malacca Harapan hosted an event where the four were guests. According to some news reports, they were warmly received.

Idris addressed the event and stated that the four wanted to be fielded as Harapan candidates during the upcoming Malacca legislative assembly election.

However, their presence at the event had drawn mostly scorn from PKR and Harapan figures in other states because the four were involved in the toppling of the Harapan-led administration in Malacca in 2020.

PKR lawmakers such as Hassan Karim (Pasir Gudang), Chua Wei Kiat (Rawang), Simon Ooi (Bakar Arang), Jimmy Puah (Bukit Batu) and Sandrea Ng (Teja) have publicly voiced disapproval as well.

Malacca PKR chief Shamsul Iskandar Md Akin has attempted to soothe tensions by claiming that the four were invited because they were now part of the opposition.

As for PKR president Anwar Ibrahim, he said that the four were invited to "thank" them for their role in demanding change in Malacca.