GEORGE TOWN: A PKR parliamentarian today brushed aside suggestions by two division leaders here that the Barisan Nasional culture was creeping into the party. “There is no such thing as PKR culture versus BN culture.
“It’s just a political gimmickry invented by PKR politicians fearing challenges to their positions,” said Balik Pulau MP Yusmaidi Yusoff.
He said there was only one culture emanating from PKR and that is “a multi-racial democratic culture for all.”
He said the rapidly growing new culture was engulfing not only the party but the nation as well because the voters now were all fired up to question political deeds and misdeeds.
He said that gone were the days when politicians could escape public scrutiny of their flaws and blunders.
He added that people were demanding good governance, political virtues, clean administration, integrity and merits.
Yusmaidi said the people wanted an end to authoritarian rule, undemocratic system, corruption and flawed leadership.
“PKR’s reform drive was based on this new political culture emerging among Malaysians,” he told FMT.
He was responding to recent comments made by PKR Tanjung division leader Abdul Malik Abul Kassim and Bayan Baru division acting chairman Tan Seng Keat that a BN culture was creeping into the party due to influx of former BN members.
Political blunders
The duo ticked off a former division chief of a BN component party for trying to destablise Bayan Baru division by bringing in BN culture.
Although the duo did not spell out his name, it’s learnt that Malik and Tan were taking a swipe at PKR Bayan Baru division vice-chairman M Nyanasegaran, who is formerly the same division chairman for MIC prior to last general election.
Tan was accused of breaching party rules, conventions and protocol when he organised a division dinner recently without consulting the division committee.
He has also allegedly chosen Pantai Jerejak assemblyman Sim Tze Tzin’s service centre as the nomination venue for next month’s division election on his own accord without the knowledge of the committee members.
When he faced a barrage of criticisms, Tan defended himself by claiming that he was merely adhering to PKR culture against BN culture.
However, when asked recently to explain, Tan struggled for words to clarify the “PKR versus BN culture” comment.
A senior PKR leader from Penang, who declined to be named, hit out at Tan for breaking political conventions and protocol by not engaging his committee for the division programmes.
He said Tan dished out the crap “PKR culture against BN culture” suggestion merely to escape criticisms against his political blunders.
“Many old guards in PKR need to be coached on conventions, protocol and rules,” he said.
Yusmaidi slammed those professing the so-called “PKR versus BN culture” within the party, saying they were politicians who cannot or refused to accept a changing political landscape.
He said PKR leaders and members should accept the fact that the party was opened to all Malaysians, regardless of their political, religious and racial backgrounds.
He said PKR would embrace anyone -- from an ordinary individual to an intellectual and professional -- because the party represented all Malaysians from various socio-economic backgrounds.
“PKR shall become a hybrid organisation to nurture and develop competent and talented future leaders for a civil society,” he said.
He said the old guards simply could not accept this nor were they ready to withstand the possible challenge posed by new entrants into PKR.
He brushed aside the propaganda by these old guards that the new entrants, especially former BN members, were bad for the party.
He pointed out that the new entrants could actually improve and strengthen the party with fresh ideas and dynamism.
“The new entrants are those who have left BN and embraced the new political culture.
“Talks that BN culture is creeping into PKR are merely to camouflage one’s own ineptness,” said Yusmaidi.
