SHAH ALAM: PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Azmin Ali refused to be dragged into the dispute between his vice-president Rafizi Ramli and the party’s women chief Zuraidah Kamaruddin over the use of Approved Permit (AP) to buy imported cars.
Yesterday, Zuraidah reportedly told a Malay daily that she would be “stupid” if she does not use the APs allocated to MPs.
Her response was met with a tweet by Rafizi, who is Pandan MP, who posted, “I hereby confirm that I am one of the stupid Members of Parliament who did not use our AP allocation to buy imported cars.”
When asked for comments over the matter, Azmin said Rafizi and Zuraidah were entitled to their own views.
“This is the month of Ramadan and I am not interested in polemics like this. I am more interested in carrying out welfare work during this holy month,” said Azmin.
On a separate issue, Azmin, who is also Selangor Menteri Besar, said the state wants unhealthy activities to cease and to do so, there must be a joint effort from all parties, especially the police.
Azmin said this was because the powers of its local councils are very limited.
“Our stance is that we do not want unhealthy activities to thrive and enforcement must come from all parties.
“That is why the involvement of police with the state government and local councils are vital. The powers of the local councils are restricted.
“We need the cooperation from the police so that these activities can be monitored and laws are enforced on them. At the same time we want to ensure that the safety of Selangor folks and their children are guaranteed,” he said.
Azmin was responding to Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar who recently called on the Melaka government and local councils to stop issuing licenses for family entertainment outlets immediately.
Khalid was quoted as saying that there must be a concerted move involving all enforcement agencies to shut down all premises serving as a front for vice and gambling.
The IGP said it was clear that the licenses had been misused and the games are not what it seemed as they are turned into gambling machines.
Azmin said the state government was willing to consider Khalid’s suggestion to halt the issuance of family entertainment outlets but this needs the studying of law provisions and the local councils’ enforcement jurisdiction.
Azmin was met after distributing bubur lambuk at the Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah state mosque today.
Some 2,000 containers of bubur lambuk, made by the mosque’s staff and a team of volunteers, were distributed to the congregation and members of the public.
Keywords: Azmin Ali, PKR, Selangor MB, Zuraidah Kamaruddin, Rafizi Ramli, AP, imported cars