Nurul Izzah-Jacel meeting not an issue in Sabah, says state PKR chief

SHAH ALAM: PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar's (pix) meeting with Sulu representative Jacel Kiram was a non-issue in Sabah, said Sabah PKR chief Datuk Lajim Ukin.
He said the issue was blown out of proportion by the government and therefore he called for party members to put their support behind the party's central leaderships.
"In Sabah, this is not an issue. The issue was propagated by Umno and Barisan Nasional," he said.
"Nurul Izzah has become popular the past few days. We have been fighting with Umno (over the issue) in the state legislative assembly," he said in his winding up speech at the party's 11th National Congress at Ideal Convention Centre here.
Nurul Izzah drew public criticism over pictures that were posted online showing her and Jacel in an event held in the Philippines recently.
Jacel is the daughter of the self-proclaimed Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram, who was responsible for the bloody Lahad Datu intrusion in 2013.
On Thursday, Sabah state legislative assembly passed a motion to bar Nurul Izzah and another PKR leader Tian Chua from entering the state following the incident.
Lajim said PKR members must always support their leaders regardless of the problems faced by the party.
He also called for party leadership to provide more autonomy power towards its Sabah chapter.
"Give us the confidence to decide our own direction. It does not construe to us creating a party within a party, but more towards handling current issues in Sabah," he said.