KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim clarified that the People’s Justice Party (PKR) was never a member of United Kingdom-based Liberal International. Anwar expressed his hope that this issue will cease to be politicised further. He stated that PKR was initially an associate of Liberal International but chose not to become a member due to various decisions made by the organization that included endorsing lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights as well as showing support for Israel. These remarks were made during a session in Parliament on Tuesday (Nov 7).
Anwar highlighted that he had attended a Liberal International conference in Cairo, Egypt, where he had given a speech. The event was also attended by Egyptian Opposition leader Ayman Nour and representative of the Muslim Brotherhood, Mahdi Akif. Anwar further emphasized that attending such events did not indicate any affiliation with Israel, despite the fact that the United Nations recognizes Israel as a country.
Anwar announced that PKR has severed ties with Liberal International, and this matter has been conveyed by Fahmi Fadzil, the party’s information chief. Fahmi previously confirmed that PKR’s name and logo are no longer displayed on Liberal International’s official website.
Recent social media posts had falsely claimed that PKR is a member of Liberal International, an organization that expressed support for Israel. Liberal International, established in 1947 in Oxford, is a global network of liberal political parties whose objective is to strengthen liberalism worldwide.
