KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 27- PKR secretary-general Datuk Sallehuddin Hashim has denied speculation that he was resigning from his post following a fallout with the party’s leadership.
In a short text message response, Sallehuddin said “Not true” when asked by The Malaysian Insider to confirm rumours he was leaving the party.
However, party insiders have confirmed Sallehuddin has been unhappy with the PKR leaders, notably with decisions which undermined his leadership.
Sallehuddin has clashed with Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim about some party appointments, which he feels have been made not based on merit but on how close the person is to Anwar.
In PKR, the secretary-general is appointed to administer the party and Anwar should let him do his job, said a party insider.
Sallehuddin was also initially tasked with laying the groundwork for PKR in Sarawak, one of two east Malaysian states which make up 25 per cent of parliamentary seat in parliament and a traditionally a safe seat bank for Barisan National (BN).
Pakatan Rakyat (PR) needs to win big in both these states during the next general if they hope to pry loose BN’s grip on federal power.
According to party sources, Sallehuddin was making headway in Sarawak until Anwar decided to assume the leaderships in both state earlier this year.
Already burdened with running the party, his upcoming second sodomy trial and his busy overseas schedule, Anwar subsequently appointed peninsula-based vice presidents, Mustafa Kamil Ayub and Azmin Ali to lead Sarawak and Sabah respectively, a move opposed by Salehuddin.
In recent weeks, warlords in both states have openly revolted over the unpopular move and PKR has been forced to backtrack.
Tonight was the second time in recent months that Sallehuddin has had to deny speculation he was resigning from the party, which has been going through a rough patch of late.
Last week, former de facto law minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim took a six-month leave of absence from the PKR’s political bureau meetings.
Officially, Zaid told the press he wanted to devote his time to formulating a common platform for PR but, like Sallehuddin, the former prominent lawyer had his own issues with Anwar’s way of doing things.
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