PKR MP Hassan Karim has urged four former party MPs who have quit PKR to stop their persistent personal attacks on Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and the party.
He said the attacks would not necessarily benefit their new party, Bersama, but could instead help its rivals, Umno and Perikatan Nasional (PN).
Hassan, the two-term Pasir Gudang MP, referred to the four as the ‘gang of four’ and said they were mistaken if they believed their repeated attacks on Anwar and PKR would help Bersama gain support in the next general election (GE16).
‘By all means, criticise the government and policies that you are not happy with, as I often do. But constantly belittling Anwar and PKR is not going to help Bersama develop,’ he told FMT in an interview.
‘Umno and PN will reap the benefits’
Hassan said the attacks could cause serious damage to PKR but would not necessarily strengthen Bersama.
‘It’s Umno and PN that will reap the benefits of these emotional outbursts. These leaders would not be where they are today if not for PKR,’ he said.
The four former PKR members are Rafizi Ramli, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, Wong Chen and Lee Chean Chung, who are now key leaders in Bersama.
Hassan, who has announced that he will not seek re-election in GE16, said gratitude was important and urged the four former PKR members not to undermine the party that had helped develop their political careers.
He recalled that Rafizi, who now heads Bersama, had on several occasions admonished him for speaking candidly about matters he believed needed attention when Rafizi was Johor PKR chief.
‘Rafizi told me to refrain from being outspoken as they had a duty to protect Anwar. He was also told by the unity government parliamentary whip to caution me against being blunt in my criticisms. I accepted the advice in good faith and avoided personal criticisms,’ Hassan said.
PKR is not an ‘Anwar family party’
Hassan also rejected claims that PKR is an ‘Anwar family party’.
‘It is the lead party in the unity government, which is driving the nation forward,’ he said.
He said Anwar had previously been ably assisted by Rafizi, whom he described as ‘not only brilliant but also a great strategist’.
Hassan said the party election last year had caused damage when Anwar’s daughter, Nurul Izzah Anwar, defeated Rafizi for the deputy president’s post.
‘I don’t know the intrigues behind the scenes, but Rafizi should have accepted the results in good faith,’ he said.
He said Rafizi should have persevered, adding that some party members had wanted him to contest the presidency in the next election, with Nurul Izzah remaining as his deputy.
Hassan said such an arrangement could have strengthened Pakatan Harapan and facilitated a smooth transition, with Rafizi eventually taking over from Anwar.
Hassan expects Bersama to be a spoiler
On Bersama’s future, Hassan said he expected the party to play the role of a major spoiler in many urban seats and potentially win only a couple of seats in GE16, mainly because of Rafizi’s influence.
‘Honestly, Rafizi may be able to retain his Pandan seat due to his personality, but the other three must understand that they have a huge number of DAP supporters in their former constituencies. At most, they may help reduce the PH candidates’ majorities,’ Hassan said.
