PKR to wind up elections this weekend

KUALA LUMPUR: A PKR electoral candidate yesterday urged party members to turn up for the re-elections in certain divisions around the country and the elections in Sarawak this weekend.

Zuraida Kamaruddin, who is vying for a post of vice-president, said this is important to uphold the truth and deny the attempts by certain quarters which are willing to go to any length, including the use of dirty tactics, to secure positions in the party.

PKR is to hold re-elections on Sunday for the divisions of Jelebu (Negeri Sembilan); Kuala Selangor (Selangor); Keningau, Tawau and Pensiangan (Sabah); Alor Gajah, Masjid Tanah, Tangga Batu, Kota Melaka and Jasin (Melaka) following several issues including failure to detect voting data.

The party is also scheduled to hold the elections for 29 Sarawak divisions this weekend. Sarawak is the last state to hold the PKR elections, which is by e-voting this year.

Zuraida said in a statement that the maiden e-voting system made it seem as though the party election process is weak and undermined its credibility in the eyes of the public.

She also cited the case of the alleged doubtful membership in the Julau division of Sarawak, and said the issue resulted from inadequate details of members or the use of one address for thousands of new members.

Questions have also risen about the re-elections in the Tawau, Pensiangan and Keningau divisions in Sabah, she said, adding that the elections followed the right procedure but there was a directive for re-elections on unreasonable grounds.

PKR communications director Fahmi Fadzil, in a statement, confirmed that the number of members of the Julau division rose from 603 to 13,000 and there was no violation of any process.

“For the party elections, the last date for the acceptance of the applications of new members was June 26, 2018, and the party Political Bureau was informed that the PKR headquarters received a large number of membership applications for the Julau division on June 12.

“After June 26, the final list of applicants for membership was approved at a special meeting of the MPP (Central Leadership Council),” he said.

Fahmi said the Political Bureau also instructed the Disciplinary Board to immediately investigate all disruptions and chaos during the voting process and to take action against those found to have been involved in actions contrary to party discipline.

Members who have been suspended or expelled are prohibited from participating in the elections or campaign, he said.