GOMBAK, Nov 10 — PKR is the most democratic party in South-east Asia, according to Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari.

Amirudin, who is challenging the Gombak incumbent Datuk Seri Azmin Ali for the Selangor federal seat in the 15th general election, had cutting words for his former friend.

"We are the most democratic party in South-east Asia. We allow all members to vote and elect our president and deputy president,” he told reporters after launching his own manifesto to Gombak voters this afternoon.

He said that PKR was the embodiment of democracy as each member had the right to vote directly for the party leadership, adding that other parties in the country did not give members such power.

He said that the members of Umno, the country’s largest political party, did not have the same rights.

He also made a gibe at Azmin, saying the latter’s party Bersatu, has too few members for such democratic practices to be applied.

"So, I don’t know what he’s talking about,” Amirudin said.

Azmin was a founding member of PKR who walked out of the party and the Pakatan Harapan coalition in 2020, triggering the collapse of the government that had been elected to Putrajaya in the 14th general election of 2018.

Amirudin added that dictatorships do not come from democratic systems, but from those who do not understand these.

On his campaign for Gombak, he said he felt confident based on the response he has received so far.

"The sentiments and moods as I estimate, I try not to overestimate so (my estimations) are very conservative), are still good.

"We have a good chance to retain Gombak in PH,” he said.

Amirudin is in a four-cornered fight for the Gombak parliamentary seat this GE15 against Azmin, Barisan Nasional’s Datuk Megat Zulkarnain Omardin, Gerakan Tanah Air’s Aziz Jamaludin Mohd Tahir and independent candidate Zulkifli Ahmad.