Keadilan party leaders have categorically denied that Youth chief Mohd Ezam Mohd Nor had quit his post.

Their denial came in the wake of a report in The Star today which stated that Mohd Ezam had handed his letter of resignation to his legal counsel Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin who delivered it to president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

Mohd Ezam, a former political secretary and proteg of ex-deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim, reportedly submitted his resignation a few days after Keadilan annual general meet in Sungai Petani last month.

He is serving a two-year jail sentence in Kajang for breaching the Official Secrets Act by exposing classified documents containing allegations of corruption against two senior politicians, one of whom is still a minister.

According to Youth vice-president Low Chee Cheung, Mohd Ezam could be feeling the burden of his detention, which may have led him to think of quitting his post to make way for his deputy, Saifuddin Nasution.

"Ezam may have told his lawyer that he wants to quit as he cannot be effective behind bars. When the merger with PRM takes places, Ezam feels that it is better for others to lead the wing," Low said.

Non-credible source

When contacted, lawyer Shamsul, who is also one of the three Youth vice-presidents, denied that he had received a letter from Mohd Ezam.

Shamsul said he had not met his client recently but was planning to see him on Monday.

"I have received letters from Ezam but not a resignation letter. Anyway, whatever discussion I have with Ezam is privileged information," he added.

The party's vice-president Azmin Ali said the resignation report was baseless as its information came from an article in the Umno reform website which he considers a "non-credible source".

He claimed that there was a calculated move to destroy the relationship between Youth deputy chief Saifuddin and Mohd Ezam.

"If such a thing ever (Ezam's resignation) happened, don't you think I would be one of the first to know, considering my ties and close relationship with him?" he asked.

Azmin, who is Hulu Kelang state assembly representative, stressed that the working relationship between the top two Youth leaders "is good and they work very well".

Party meetings

Echoing Azmin, Keadilan secretary-general Sahri Bahari dismissed the report as efforts by certain groups to "undermine and destablise" the party.

"I have not received any letter nor have I been told verbally of the said resignation," he said.

Sahri said efforts are being made to get Mohd Ezam to clarify the matter as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, Supreme council member Abdul Rahman Yusof said Wan Azizah will meet party leaders in her home this afternoon to clarify the report.

In addition, Low said that the Youth wing will meet in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday to discuss the latest development rocking the party.