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Saifuddin says loyalty, experience gives him upper hand against Rafizi

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The two are contesting to be elected PKR deputy president at the party polls next month.

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Free Malaysia Today
PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail says he has been loyal to the party and never took a break.

PETALING JAYA:
A good track record as PKR secretary-general gives Saifuddin Nasution Ismail confidence that he can defeat Rafizi Ramli for the post of deputy president at the party polls next month.

Saifuddin says the fact that he remained in the party for over two decades gives him the upper hand in garnering the support of members.

“From the moment I decided to contest (against Rafizi), I was confident that I could win the post,” he said in an interview with FMT.

Watch the video here.

“I have been loyal for 23 years now and have never taken a hiatus from the party,” he said, taking a veiled jab at Rafizi, who stepped away from politics for two years.

Rafizi, a party vice-president, returned to active politics last month after stepping back in December 2019, citing the need to concentrate on a start-up project. His action led to accusations that he had deserted the party.

The two men are contesting for a post that has been vacant since Azmin Ali was sacked from the party for being part of the Sheraton Move, which brought down the Pakatan Harapan government in February 2020.

Saifuddin and Rafizi had both previously challenged Azmin for the post in the 2014 and 2018 party polls, respectively.

Saifuddin also said his “diplomatic and negotiation skills”, either with opponent parties or allies, make him a valuable asset to the party.

“For example, I am now leading the steering committee on the memorandum of understanding with the government,” he said, referring to the pact Pakatan Harapan signed with Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob in September last year.

He remains in favour of the “big tent” approach for PKR’s openness to working with non-Pakatan Harapan parties, despite criticisms by other PH leaders, saying the party would not stand a chance of winning the next general election if it decided to contest on its own.

The current political landscape in the country has changed and the days of domination by a single party were gone, he added.

Recently DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng and Amanah president Mohamad Sabu had stated their stance against working with Bersatu, one of the main parties behind the Sheraton Move, which ultimately led to the PH administration’s downfall.

Amanah’s number two, Salahuddin Ayub has since said Mohamad had been misquoted.

However, Saifuddin said he simply upheld the party’s principle of openness and was not referring to Bersatu specifically.

The PKR elections will take place from May 13-18.

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