KUALA LUMPUR: PKR was never a member of the United Kingdom-based organisation Liberal International, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
“You can check, we have never been a member.
“In the beginning, we were associates. But due to several of their decisions, including acknowledging lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people and supporting Israel, we never became a member,” he said during the Prime Minister’s Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.
The Prime Minister, who is also PKR president, said he hoped the issue would not be politicised any more.
Founded in Oxford in 1947, Liberal International described itself as a “world federation of liberal and progressive democratic political parties”.
There have been social media postings of late, claiming that PKR is a member of Liberal International, which had announced its support for Israel.
Anwar said he once delivered a speech at a Liberal International conference in Cairo, Egypt, which was attended by Egyptian opposition leader Ayman Nour and Muslim Brotherhood representative Mahdi Akif.
“Yes, I attended that conference. We also attended United Nations events and the UN recognises Israel as a country.
“But attending as a member (of UN) does not mean that we have anything to do with Israel. We have no ties with Israel,” said Anwar.
According to him, PKR had ended ties with Liberal International.