Keadilan Youth chief Mohd Ezam Mohd Nor today dismissed the widespread rumours alleging that he was quitting the party as yet another attack by Barisan Nasional (BN) against the Barisan Alternatif (BA).

However, he admitted that he had indicated his willingness to make way for new faces to head the party's Youth wing in line with the party's recent decision to merge with Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM).

"They (the new faces) would be able to provide a more effective leadership than me due to my incarceration. It would also give more room for the party's top leaders to give their best," he said in a press statement released by his lawyers Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin and Mohd Yusmadi Mohd Yusoff. The duo had a two-hour meeting with Ezam in Kajang Prison this morning.

Ezam 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.

Not attacking individuals

Ezam also said he was aware of the incidents which took place at the party's recent general assembly in Sungai Petani, Kedah in which he aired some views on the party's development through letters passed by his lawyers .

"I admit that the views I had given were strong criticisms against the party leadership, but such criticisms must be made in line with the mandate given to the party's merger to create a new, bigger and more ambitious party," he said.

He stressed that the criticisms were directed at the party leadership as a whole and not meant to attack certain individuals adding that it would an act of bad faith for anyone to conclude that they were targetted against certain people.

"The avenue to criticise and the ability to give up one's post in the overall interests of the party are two very important foundations for a party like Keadilan that struggles for democracy.

"Such concepts would be alien to BN and Umno that practice the culture of "mengampu pemimpin" and to defend their position for many, many years," he said.

As to the traditional media's widespread report on his resignation, he said it was another desperate act by the ruling party to stifle the mounting support for the BA.

In good spirits

The BN and Umno, in particular, thrives on such rumours because of their "naivety and stupidity to understand the open and democratic culture in a political party", Ezam added.

When asked if Ezam is upset with the on-going rumours, Shamsul who is also the party's Youth vice-head said that the Youth leader seemed to be in "good spirits".

"He also said that those who want to know more about the matter can ask him personally when he attends his illegal assembly trial at the Kuala Lumpur magistrate's court on Monday," said Shamsul when contacted today.

On Friday, The Star reported that Ezam had handed his letter of resignation to his legal counsel Shamsul who delivered it to party president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail. However, Wan Azizah issued a denial the same day.