Azmin tutup pintu kembali ke PKR

Former PKR deputy president Azmin Ali has ruled out rejoining the party, despite President Anwar Ibrahim inviting him to return. Azmin was expelled from PKR in February 2020 after his involvement in the Sheraton Incident, which saw Bersatu exit Pakatan Harapan (PH). This event ultimately led to the collapse of the PH government.

Despite facing numerous challenges, Azmin, who is also the party secretary general, stated that Bersatu remains the best platform for continuing his political journey. "The time for Bersatu will come. We need to work diligently," he said. Bersatu has also been grappling with a wave of defections among its members following Azmin's expulsion.

Hamzah Zainudin, Azmin's predecessor, was recently expelled and now leads the Parti Wawasan Negara (Wawasan). Bersatu's position became even more precarious earlier this month when PAS ended its political cooperation with the party. While both parties remain in the National Front (PN) coalition, Bersatu decided to use its own logo in the upcoming elections in Negeri Sembilan after PAS brought the alliance into a working relationship with the Barisan Nasional (BN).

During his speech at the PKR National Congress earlier this month, Anwar appealed to the party veteran to return and continue the struggle for renewal. Former PKR deputy presidents Tian Chua and Dr Xavier Jayakumar subsequently confirmed that they had rejoined the party, sparking speculation that more former PKR leaders might follow suit.