KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 7 — Parti Keadilan Insan Tanah Air (KITA) today announced the sacking of two state chapter chiefs with immediate affect, accusing the duo of committing “gross violations” against party discipline.
The duo — Penang chief and central executive committee (CEC) member Tan Tee Beng and Kedah chief Zamil Ibrahim — were dismissed following a unanimous decision made during the party’s disciplinary board meeting held yesterday.
Tan, a former PKR leader who quit the party in 2010 citing disillusionment with its leadership, is also the MP for Nibong Tebal.
“They (Tan and Zamil) can appeal their sackings to the CEC within 14 days,” KITA disciplinary committee chairman Wan Hasemah @ Wan Norjam Wan Sulaiman said in a statement here.
Today’s announcement comes amid reports of continuing internal strife within the fledgling party, founded by Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, who was also formerly a PKR leader.
Last Thursday, Zaid said an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) would be held to dissolve KITA following reports of members in Kedah and Penang openly attacking Pakatan Rakyat (PR), “making it clear that they are not interested in real issues and merely want to embarrass and ridicule the opposition.”
Several state leaders then held a press conference on Saturday saying they rejected Zaid’s bid to dissolve the party and called for his resignation as the proposal was “unprincipled” and “irresponsible”.
But Zaid insisted on the EGM over the weekend and even denied rumours claiming that he had reversed his decision.
Zaid, a former Umno minister who joined the opposition PKR in mid-2009, had alleged gross abuse in the PR party’s election process during his unsuccessful campaign to be deputy president, which eventually led him to form KITA.
But the two-year-old party has been fraught with internal bickering and challenges against Zaid’s leadership by other KITA members, who have disagreed with his pro-opposition stand.
Zaid recently announced that KITA will not be contesting the coming polls and promised to offer the party’s “unconditional support” to the federal opposition.
The state leaders from Kedah, Selangor and Johor had also said they wanted former Selangor PAS chief Datuk Hasan Ali to lead the party instead of Zaid.
