KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Azmin Ali does not need to relinquish his cabinet post should he fail to defend his deputy presidency in PKR.
PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli, who is contesting against the Economic Affairs Minister and former Selangor Menteri Besar, said there was a need to separate government appointments and party affairs.
“That decision remains with the Prime Minister. We need to separate matters between party affairs and the government administration. If you ask me, it is not necessary.
“The question on cabinet appointments depends on two matters. Firstly, it concerns the nomination made by respective parties to be considered by the prime minister as discussed at Pakatan Harapan level,” Rafizi told the New Straits Times Press in an exclusive interview ahead of PKR’s upcoming party polls next month.
Rafizi also said cabinet appointments were under the prerogative of the prime minister, as seen again in Azmin’s appointment to the cabinet.
The former Pandan lawmaker was confident that Dr Mahathir would not sack Azmin, as the prime minister had made the latter a senior minister despite the fact that his name was not listed by his party for Federal level posts.
“Secondly the matter depends on the prime minister’s prerogative. Hence, I do not see whether the results of the party polls will see Azmin stepping down from his ministerial position.
“I do not see PKR coercing him to step down. I also do not see that Dr Mahathir will take the stand that if you lose, you are no longer a cabinet minister because if the first place he had said the appointments were under his prerogative, and although Azmin was not nominated by the party (to the cabinet) at Federal level, he is now a minister as decided by Dr Mahathir.”
The PKR elections are scheduled to begin on Sept 14 and will take place over the course of nine weeks.
Official results will be announced at the PKR national congress in November.