From:
Date: 09 Dec 1999
Time: 02:47:23
Chandra may have to quit Keadilan
Parti Keadilan Nasional deputy president Chandra Muzaffar may quit the party soon to accept a post in an international political institution. Keadilan Youth chief Mohd Ezam Mohd Nor said Chandra had discussed the matter with the party leadership after the general election.
'Chandra had asked the leadership's views whether he should accept the offer by an international institution which is political in nature.
"However, he also said he may have to quit the party if he accepts the offer because he may have to leave the country," he said when contacted yesterday.
Mohd Ezam denied rumours that Chandra was quitting because of friction in the party, and said Chandra was simply looking at his options.
"Chandra is still a strong supporter of the party. We have not received any official letter on his intention to quit," he said.
While he also said the post offered to Chandra was "good for the party and too good for Chandra to decline," Mohd Ezam added that Chandra's service was still needed in Keadilan.
"We want him to accept the post but we want him to remain in the party at the same time because he is an asset to us," he said, adding that Chandra was expected to make a decision when he returned from a convention in South Africa soon.
Mohd Ezam also denied that Chandra was quitting because he lost his bid for the Bandar Tun Razak parliamentary seat and said the support Chandra received showed he had a good base to start from.
On whether the party would remain strong without its deputy president, Mohd Ezam said Keadilan was still intact and would remain so.
"We have received encouraging results from the election. Support from the people was overwhelming and shows that we are not losing our battle," he said.