Keadilan vice-president Azmin Ali said today he would not be replying to the allegation Keadilan leader tells lies made by its former deputy president, Dr Chandra Muzaffar that he lied about the latters reasons for leaving the party least year.

Azmin told malaysiakini today he would ignore Chandras comments as carried in the article yesterday.

All I have to say is that I shoulder bigger responsibilities and I have more important things to deal with.

Ultimately, he [Chandra] is entitled to his own views, Azmin said.

Chandra who is the president of the International Movement for a Just World (Just) was reported to have left the party because of differing views over the partys political directions. He has crossed swords with his former party cadres over his reasons for leaving the party.

He said that his reasons  if known to the public  for quitting Keadilan would have made a mockery of Keadilans rhetoric of being the harbinger of a new politics.

Azmin had claimed that the reason Chandra left the party was when he realised that his views and comments were not welcomed by party members.

Reacting to Azmins remarks, Chandra remarked that the ease with which certain Keadilan leaders lie, distort and deceive the people had convinced him that [he] did the right thing by leaving the party last December.

No comments

In a DAP forum last month, Chandra had also expressed his disillusionment with Keadilans de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim.

When contacted today, Chandra declined to comment further on the matter.

I have already raised my points. If he (Azmin) chooses not to comment, I dont see a need for further remarks on my part, he told malaysiakini.

On his total departure from party politics, Chandra said that his focus now would be mostly on matters pertaining to Just and his work concerns in the international arena.

Parti Keadilan was formed three years ago before the 1999 general elections by the disgraced ex-deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahims wife, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

Anwar, the former deputy prime minister, is currently serving a 15-year jail term for sodomy and corruption charges.