Saifuddin Going Into Pkr Polls Without A Cai Despite Many Offers

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PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail is going into the party election this May without any cai or camp.
Saifuddin (above), who is running for deputy president post against former Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli, told reporters today that he is open to working with everyone in the party instead of having his own faction.
"At this juncture, I do not rely on any cai. But I did receive many requests from others to work together, and I am open.
"Actually, my cai is all the PKR leadership who offered to contest in this party election," Saifuddin said when met at Hilton Kuala Lumpur Hotel earlier today.
He was there with several other Pakatan Harapan top leaders for a meeting with Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Parliament and Law) Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar on the tabling of the anti-hopping bill.
Saifuddin is facing Rafizi, who is currently one of PKR vice-presidents, in the party election that is scheduled to take place between May 13 and May 18.
PKR vice-president Rafizi RamliSince he officially announced his candidacy, speculations were rife on who is going to be on Saifuddin's team against Rafizi, who was also speculated to have his own cai.
Pros and cons
Cai basically means menu in Chinese, and the term is widely used in politics to refer to a camp or faction in party elections.
The Kulim Bandar Baharu MP also believed that the practice of having cai can be bad for PKR.
"Having cai also has its pros and cons. Sometimes it can even lead to factionalism, which we are trying to avoid.
"Thus, I am open to all," Saifuddin said.
In 2018, PKR's party election had caused infighting between two camps when Rafizi challenged the party's then deputy president Azmin Ali for the position.
While Azmin managed to defend his seat as party number two, PKR president Anwar Ibrahim decided to appoint Rafizi as a vice-president, in what was seen as an attempt to keep the party from falling apart.
However, Azmin quit PKR in 2020 during a political coup dubbed the Sheraton Move, which caused the collapse of the Harapan federal government.
Saifuddin when asked whether this year's party election might turn out like 2018, strongly refuted the perception.
"It won't happen again. What happened back then was that the winning side (Azmin) later betrayed our party.
"However, in this election, there are only two options - either me or Rafizi. And I do not see either of us doing what Azmin did," he said.
Continue to serve
Saifuddin also gave his commitment that in the case he loses to Rafizi, he would still continue to serve PKR.
"No doubt that I will remain with the party. Besides, I have no other option. I am an MP and a state assemblyperson, and I do not do any business whatsoever, so I do not have any other commitments.
"I only have PKR to give my service to. So there is no issue of me stepping away from the party if I lose in the election," he said. - Mkini

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