KUALA LUMPUR: PKR central committee member Latheefa Koya has fired back at party members who had sought disciplinary action taken against her for her allegation of cronyism and nepotism in the party.
“Using disciplinary complaints to try to silence me is a contemptible Umno-style tactic,” she said in a statement today, adding that it would not succeed.
“The matters I raised in my statement on Monday are not just party matters. It is about concerns of cronyism and nepotism in the biggest party in the Federal Government of this country. Thus, it is (a matter) of grave public interest.”
Five PKR branch leaders sought disciplinary action against Latheefa for claiming that there was cronyism and nepotism involved in the appointment of party state chiefs by its president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Permatang Pauh MP Nurrul Izzah Anwar had announced her decision to relinquish her post as the party’s VP and Penang PKR chief soon after Latheefa issued the statement.
Latheefa had on Dec 17 accused the PKR top leadership, including Anwar, of practising nepotism, cronyism and favouritism following changes to the appointment of the party’s state chiefs.
Nurul Izzah, who is the eldest daughter of Anwar and Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail was a three-term vice president for the party.
She had retained her post with the highest number of votes in the party polls last month.
In addition to Nurul Izzah, Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Karim turned down his appointment as Johor PKR chief on the same day.
He alleged that the selection process for state heads had not been transparent.