Leader: No reason for fresh polls in troubled states

PUTRAJAYA: A senior PKR leader is calling for a revamp to the one-member, one-vote system even as the party headquarters believes there is no reason for fresh polls to be held in the troubled states.

PKR secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said its party election committee (JPP) was still probing the technical glitches during the voting in Melaka and Negri Sembilan last weekend.

“No time frame has been set to complete the probe. We are not anywhere near to cancelling the elections and calling for a new one,” he told reporters here yesterday.

Saifuddin said JPP chairman Datuk Rashid Din had contacted him over six divisional elections –five in Melaka and one in Negri Sembilan.

“They are in touch with the programmers and IT technicians working to identify the problem.

“The technical problem arose when the vote count could not be entered into the system despite PKR members having recorded their choices in the e-voting system.

“They (JPP) will decide on the matter and advise us on the options,” he said.

Although Rafizi Ramli has claimed victory in these two states via Twitter over his rival Datuk Seri Azmin Ali for the No.2 post, the results have yet to be officially confirmed.

Saifuddin also dismissed arguments that PKR should revert to paper ballots due to the problems arising from the e-voting system, saying that polls were smooth elsewhere.

“The technical problems only arose in Melaka and Negri Sembilan. In Selangor, it was the members’ attitude that caused problems,” he said, adding that he would leave it to the police to probe allegations that seven “army personnel” voted in the Petaling Jaya Utara division last week.

Outgoing Wanita chief Zuraida Kamaruddin said PKR should relook the one-member, one vote- system because not all were mature enough to elect party leaders.

Only those with a membership of a certain number of years should be allowed to vote, she said.

“Our members are not ready and not mature enough to assess their leaders.

“We are also victimising those silent members who are “recruited” (to vote) like old women (or) the disabled who get dragged to polling stations and because the system is not yet properly managed, they have to wait for hours,” said Zuraida, who is vying for the vice-president post.

“We can still maintain the e-voting but I really hope PKR will look at the mechanism and change the qualification of voters.

“We have to streamline people who have been 10 years in the party or a certain number of years, then they are allowed to vote. So, they are more mature, they know their leaders,” said Zuraida, adding that she also disagreed with suggestions by some grassroots members for voting by proxy.

“Most of our members are upset with new people coming in and shepherded to follow certain leaders.

“I want to propose to the president – no need to be embarrassed to take one step back and reassess. If we have to make changes, we have to make changes.”

In Melaka, state police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Raja Shahrom Raja Abdullah said 10 police reports had been lodged over the polls.

“There is no criminal element and we have submitted the reports to the PKR headquarters,” he said.

In Kuching, Sarawak PKR secretary Nicholas Bawin said it was still waiting for a response from the headquarters about concerns it raised in September over the sudden membership increase in the Julau branch from 603 on June 26 to 13,000 a day later.

State PKR leaders, he said, might meet party leaders in Kuala Lumpur if no solution was forthcoming, adding that he would consult his colleagues.

“Since the state leaders are very concerned about this, we might also have to sit down on this matter,” he said.

In a statutory declaration dated Oct 17, Sarawak PKR information chief Vernon Kedit cast suspicion on the membership of over 1,000 people in Julau and Sarikei branches.