KUALA LUMPUR: PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim says he will not respond to his deputy Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali's "spontaneous outburst".
He said Mohamed Azmin was currently going through a lot of difficulties dealing with the ongoing alleged sex video implicating him and another man.
"He is going through a lot of problems right now. Hence, I will not respond to his outbursts.
"We all should show sympathy to him and his family right now," he said in a press conference at the Parliament today.
Anwar, who is also Port Dickson MP, said he does not blame the media for delivering accurate news on the situation, but placed the blamed instead on "misleading news headline".
He believes that it was the headlines that created tension among members in the party and chaos amongst the public.
"I did not ask Azmin to resign. It's not misquoted by the reporters but the problem is the headline of the news.
"All I can say is to wait for the police investigation on the matter," he said.
He also denied rumours that Mohamed Azmin was a threat in referring to the Prime Minister's post.
"Azmin is not a threat and the issue is not to create a break up in the party. There is no clear indication on it and like the party members have said earlier, they want to unite and keep the party strong," he said, while adding that the party rejects gutter politics which could disunite and separate members in the party.
On the statement issued by 28 PKR party leaders and parliamentarians, Anwar strongly accepted their suggestion.
The 28 leaders in their joint statement hit out at Anwar for making what they labelled as inappropriate remarks about his deputy.
They told him to focus on the key issue that there was an organised attempt to use gutter politics to bring down political leaders.
Among those who signed the statement were vice-presidents Zuraida Kamaruddin, Tian Chua, Ali Biju; PKR Wanita chief Haniza Talha, deputy party secretary-general Datuk Seri Dr Edmund Santhara; and party central leadership council members Amirudin Shari, Sivarasa Rasiah, Elizabeth Wong, Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah and Baru Bian.
Anwar said he accepted their comments on what he said yesterday with an open heart.
"They mean no harm. The statement is a reminder to everyone in the party that we all should unite and stay strong.
"The statement is also a reminder to all of us to avoid from any tension in the party," he added.
He also said he called Mohamed Azmin twice this week to talk about work related matter aside from politics.
Asked if the fiasco between him and Mohamed Azmin would break the party apart and make it lose the people's trust, Anwar gave his assurance that the problem would not affect the party.
He reiterated that members of the party wanted to inculcate unity and bring positive message to everyone.