Friday 2 February 2018

"To me, the party comes first" - Abdul Karim steps aside for Fadilah

February 01, 2018

KUCHING: Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, one of the current PBB supreme council members, who has been speculated to contest for the senior vice-president post, has decided to give way to outgoing Youth chief Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof for the third top post in the party.

According to him, he decided not to go for the post after taking into consideration the interest of the party and to prevent any split that could jeopardise the party’s chances in the 14th General Election.

“To me the party comes first. So after taking into consideration the party’s interest especially in facing the general election, I decided not to go for it (senior vice-president post). And I have already discussed with Datuk Seri Fadillah that he should go ahead,” Abdul Karim told the media after attending a special meeting chaired by party acting deputy president Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas at PBB headquarters here yesterday.

Instead, Abdul Karim said, he had decided to go for one of the four posts of vice-president for the Bumiputera Wing where seven candidates had so far shown their interest.

“I’m going for VP (vice-president). Well…I just got appointed as a minister, I think ‘cukuplah’ (enough)…because there is a lot of work to do as a minister. But if you are a senior vice-president, there will be much more work,” he explained, asserting that his decision not to contest for the senior vice-president post was an understanding between him and Fadillah.

On his chances to be elected as one of the vice-presidents, Abdul Karim, who is Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports, said he would leave it to the delegates to decide.

“From what we heard from the ground, there might be seven candidates vying for the four VP posts in Bumiputera Wing. We let the delegates decide. If they feel that I should be in, then Alhamdulillah, if not then, I have to accept it as well,” he said.

Abdul Karim, who was first elected as an assemblyman for Asajaya in 2001, pointed out that politics for him is something to do with fate.

“I started in Pemuda (Youth Wing) then it started to get deeper and deeper from one leg into politics then both legs when you are asked to contest. But I believe in destiny too, as what my religion says about ‘qada’ and ‘qadar’. But I am with my decision and I have even told the top leadership that I am not going for the senior VP post,” he said.

He added that he would stick with his decision not to go for the senior vice-president post as it is two steps higher than his present post in the party.

“So let it be one step at a time. Well, we are all good friends in the party so I would like to see Datuk Seri Fadillah to be there (senior VP). We are going to face an election so we better help each other,” he added.

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