Rafizi claims assault in Keningau polling centre
KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah leg of the PKR polls kicked off with a fracas in the interior Keningau district.
At the centre of the controversy was PKR deputy president hopeful Rafizi Ramli who had claimed that he was assaulted by a man while he was walking out of the Keningau polling centre.
Others accused him of barging in with what they termed as “rowdy supporters”.
Videos showing the ruckus were circulated on social media, with quite a number of men heard shouting in one clip.
There was another clip showing Rafizi arguing with a woman inside the hall.
Keningau PKR division chief candidate Johari Tahir said he was told that Rafizi entered the polling centre with his supporters banging on closed doors and destroying some items.
“Our members told me that Rafizi and a group of less than 10 men believed to be from Pensiangan town barged into the polling centre after it was closed for the counting process,” he said.
Johari said he was not sure what happened but believed it could be due to some dissatisfaction as Rafizi and his group came to find the voting counters already closed.
Johari said the centre was closed for voter registration at about 4.10pm as they thought no one else was coming.
He said police came in and took Rafizi and his group away to have their statements recorded following the incident.
The polling registration counters were opened at 9.15am and were only supposed to close at 4.15pm. No one was hurt in the incident.
Keningau acting police chief Asst Supt Lee Nyuk Kim said he was investigating the case.
Permatang Pauh MP Nurul Izzah Anwar said the outcome of the PKR elections in Sabah were crucial in determining the party’s leadership.
Nurul Izzah, who is defending her vice-presidency, visited several voting centres in West Coast Sabah yesterday.
There are 150,000 Sabah PKR members registered in 25 divisions.
Sabah PKR chairman Datuk Christina Liew, who is also deputy chief minister, described the voter turnout as “very satisfactory” with party members arriving at the polling centre as early as 7am.
Liew is in a straight fight to defend her Kota Kinabalu division chief post against Julian Lai.
Meanwhile, Sarawak’s Julau MP Larry Sng is being investigated by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) over allegations of thousands of phantom members in a party division.
He said his office was raided yesterday but declined to say what MACC was looking for and what was removed.
MACC confirmed that PKR was being probed over allegations that it has thousands of phantom members in Sarawak.