KEADILAN kebingungan dengan keluhan Zaid Ibrahim yang tidak habis-habis kepada pihak akhbar tentang parti dan pemilihan parti yang sedang berlangsung, termasuklah wawancara eksklusif dengan Utusan Malaysia yang pernah disebut beliau sebagai akhbar Gestapo.
Apakah beliau lupa bahawa dirinya merupakan subjek kempen kotor Utusan, selama pilihanraya kecil Hulu Selangor dulu? Apakah beliau lupa serangan bertubi-tubi Utusan terhadap Pakatan Rakyat yang menyebabkan Pakatan tidak mengendahkan akhbar tersebut?
Zaid turut membuat sindiran kasar bahawa sesetengah pemimpin termasuk Tian Chua dan Gobalakrishnan telah dihalang daripada bertanding jawatan cabang KEADILAN, bilamana mereka bebas bertanding dan berkempen sesuka mereka. Hakikatnya, Tian Chua telah menang jawatan Ketua Cabang di Batu dan Gobalakrishnan pula akan bertanding untuk jawatan Ketua Cabang di Padang Serai. Demikian juga, tiada siapa yang mencegah Zaid untuk tidak mencalonkan diri beliau bagi apa jua jawatan, termasuklah jawatan Presiden Parti.
Selanjutnya, kita juga hairan bahawa beliau seringkali membandingkan KEADILAN dengan UMNO. Walhal tidak ada tolok bandingnya apabila KEADILAN mengemukakan segala pendirian-pendirian yang tidak dipegang UMNO. Beliau mesti berhenti melakonkan watak “mangsa” untuk meraih simpati dengan cara menjejaskan parti.
Daripada mengeluh secara terbuka tentang pemilihan dan merosakkan parti, beliau seharusnya membuat aduan kepada Jawatankuasa Pemilihan Pusat (JPP) bersama perincian yang tepat dari membuat kenyataan meluru berlakunya konspirasi dan taktik curang.
Kita juga bingung dengan kenyataan Zaid bahawa parti ini menghalang “agenda reformasinya” sedangkan keputusan parti selalu dibuat secara kolektif bagi menambah dasar-dasar parti yang progresif dan berteraskan reformasi. Zaid seharusnya mengemukakan “agenda reformasi” beliau tersebut dan patut membentangkannya menerusi pembuatan keputusan parti yang biasa dari memberi petikan-petikan ringkas kepada media massa.
Sebagai ketua KEADILAN Wilayah Persekutuan, dan juga sebagai ahli kepada Majlis pimpinan pusat (MPP) dan Biro Politik, Zaid berada di peringkat tertinggi proses pembuatan keputusan parti. Maka beliau mempunyai lebih dari peluang biasa untuk memberi pandangan beliau. Zaid harus mengakui bahawa beliau sebahagian daripada kepimpinan parti. Maka, beliau tidak dapat mengelakkan daripada tanggungjawab bersama yang termaktub itu dan mestilah menghormati pembuatan keputusan parti.
Keadilan ingin menasihati beliau untuk menilai semula apa yang telah dicapai oleh sebagai agen reformasi di Negara ini termasuk termasuklah pemilihan parti yang menempa sejarah ini yang telah memberi kuasa mengundi yang sama kepada setiap anggota parti tanpa mengira jawatan mereka dan ini merupakan bukti komitmen kami terhadap reformasi.
Dalam ketika kesengitan pemilihan parti, janganlah kita lupa siapa lawan kita yang sebenarnya – UMNO/BN. Dan kami yakin bahawa KEADILAN hanya akan menjadi lebih kuat selepas pemilihan parti yang bersejarah ini.
*Kenyataan media oleh Lee Boon Chye selaku Naib Presiden KEADILAN./ Mederka Review
Lim Hong Siang
Syed Husin Ali secara terus-terang dengan kritikannya terhadap budaya tidak menepati masa dalam parti, “Perpaduan organisasi tak begitu mantap, kerana disiplin tak kuat.”
Merdeka Review
Pak Tam dimasukkan ke hospital Bkt Mertajam Isnin lalu kerana tekanan darah rendah & pneumonia atau air dalam paru-paru.
Beliau tinggal di Wad 9.
Pak Tam menarik diri dari bertanding dalam pemilihan Timbalan Ketua Cabang Permatang Pauh tempoh hari.
Sama-Sama kita doakan semoga Pak Tam cepat sembuh & sentiasa berada dalam keadaan sihat walafiat. Amin..
Berat mata memandang, berat lagi bahu memikulnya.
Pak Tam di rumahnya pada bulan Jun 2010
Pak Tam ketika berada di Mahkamah Bukit Mertajam tahun lalu:
Gambar Ehsan Sharpshooter.
Wong Choon Mei, Malaysia Chronicle
It looks like the writing is on the wall for Zaid Ibrahim, who joined PKR last year amid huge fanfare. Already, the word on the grapevine is that he may resign either out of ill-will or disgruntlement or even to avoid being sacked for indiscipline. But whichever door he exits through, it is clear it would be extremely difficult for him to stay on in the party that had pinned such high hopes on him.
His sympathizers say it is a waste of talent but few would deny he asked for it. The cause of his downfall in PKR – his rivalry with vice president Azmin Ali that has turned uncontrollable to the extent that he has publicly ridiculed his own party and its de-facto head, Anwar Ibrahim.
“We would like to help but we can’t reach him. Not physically but mentally. He appears to have hit the self-destruct button whether on his own or on the advice of those close to him. He is no longer communicating with the top leaders nor does he seem to be in sync with the party’s aspirations at all,” PKR strategic director Tian Chua told Malaysia Chronicle.
“We were shocked when he accused PKR of being a second Umno. When you are angry and you want to wake up the party, we can still understand. But this was to gain advantage for himself against Azmin. For me, this is not acceptable. Like it or not, we are a party and we sink or float together. Whether Zaid realizes it or not, the impression he has given is that he is completely intent on being No. 2 so much so that he seems to have lost all sense of judgment or proportion.”
Loose canon
Tian is not the only one who has spoken out against Zaid. Many PKR members are starting to realize that Zaid has feet of clay after all. They are bewildered by his latest statement that he will be a loyal deputy to president Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, while in the same breath, he hit out at Anwar.
Despite the cloaked words, they smelt an insult directed at both Wan Azizah and Anwar. To them, it now appears that Zaid may not be just an over-enthusiastic contestant for the No.2 post but could instead be harboring grand ambitions of taking over PKR, and they don’t like it.
“Too often do I hear that Wan Azizah is not the real leader. Some say she has no power. This happens because some party leaders don’t respect the position of party president. “(Some of these) leaders are more comfortable giving their full trust in the de facto leader. I, too, trust and fully support Anwar, because he is the party founder and opposition leader. But in the party structure, he is just an ordinary member,” Zaid had said in his blog.
His comments drew immediate fire from communications director Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, who blasted him for indiscipline and disrespect towards Anwar and PKR as a whole.
“Now, the latest gimmick is to return the president’s power. Hopefully he will also have more organisational discipline and collective responsibility,” said Nik Nazmi on his Twitter page.
“If only he checked with the members who were at the 2007 PKR congress who understood why the exceptional position was created for Anwar. I forgot – he (Zaid) was still in Umno at the time. Now he criticises Umno culture! Well done.”
Casting a cloud on PKR polls
In 2007, Anwar was in a three-corner fight for the party presidency against Wan Azizah and Abdul Rahman Othman. Anwar and Abdul Rahman later withdrew, paving the way for Wan Azizah to win uncontested. The Opposition Leader did so after he was warned that he would be in violation of the Societies Act 1966, which prohibits anyone who has been in jail in the preceding 5 years from holding a party post. Anwar was only freed from jail in 2004.
Zaid’s over-ambitiousness has also cast a cloud over the PKR polls, which many members had looked forward to with pride because it is the first time that a political party of its size in Malaysia has ever allowed each of its members to decide whom they wanted to lead their party.
Despite the attacks launched by Zaid against Azmin, he has not garnered as many nominations as he may have wished. His score of 19 is about half of Azmin’s 39. Another vice president Mustaffa Kamil Ayub has 6 nominations while Tian has 2, elections director Fuziah Salleh and Selangor Mentri Besar Khalid Ibrahim have one each.
In PKR, Zaid is seen as aligned to Sabah vice president Jeffrey Kitingan. Jeffrey has also been unhappy with Anwar and Azmin. So too are businessman Soh Chee Wen and former secretary-general Salehuddin Hashim, who have already fallen out with Anwar.
Many PKR members believe the four – Soh, Salehuddin, Jeffrey and Zaid – have grouped together to seize the party from Anwar and Wan Azizah. Some have even accused the four men of being BN moles. Zaid and Salehuddin are former Umno members, while Jeffrey was a former BN leaders and Soh was once with MCA.
The only divisions that have not cast their nominations yet are in Selangor, Johor, Sarawak and the Federal Territories. These will do so next weekend onwards. Closing date for nominations is on Oct 3. Voting takes place from Oct 29 to Nov 21. The results will be announced on Nob 27.
By Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, Setiausaha Agung
Merujuk kepada kenyataan Sdr Jenapala Perumal Subaan yang menawarkan dirinya untuk dicalonkan sebagai Timbalan Presiden Parti Keadilan Rakyat, kami ingin memaklumkan bahawa Sdr Jenapala Perumal sebenarnya telah tidak lagi menjadi anggota Parti Keadilan Rakyat setelah beliau dipecat dari keanggotaan Parti pada Februari 2009 kerana mengkritik pimpinan parti secara kasar dan bertindak menubuhkan parti baru.
Oleh itu, Sdr Jenapala tidak boleh dicalonkan untuk apa-apa jawatan dalam Pemilihan KEADILAN 2010.
Justeru, tindakan Sdr Jenapala mempertikai dan mengkritik kewibawaan Pemilihan 2010 dengan melontarkan pelbagai tuduhan yang amat tidak berasas, palsu dan bohong dilihat bukanlah perkara yang luar biasa memandangkan beliau telah terbukti sebagai suatu watak yang khianat pada perjuangan.
“Kita terus menerbitkan Suara, walaupun cara ini melanggar undang-undang. Kita terus mengedarkan Suara walaupun banyak pengedar yang diugut. Kita tidak ada pilihan lain. Pihak berkuasa menuduh kita melanggar undang-undang. Akan tetapi, dengan menafikan hak kita untuk bersuara, sebagaimana yang dijanjikan oleh Perlembagaan Persekutuan, Kerajaan sebenarnya menggalakkan kita melakukan aktiviti di luar undang-undang. Ini tuntutan masa dan keadaan.” — Dipetik daripada ucapan perasmian Syed Husin Ali, selaku Timbalan Presiden dalam Kongres Nasional Tahunan AMK dan Wanita PKR, pada 1 September 2006.
Suara Keadilan, lidah rasmi PKR selepas penggabungan antara Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM) dengan Parti KeADILan Nasional, tidak memperolehi permit sejak terbitan sulungnya pada Jun 2005. Bagaimanapun, terbitan diteruskan biarpun berdepan dengan tekanan dan ugutan dari Kementerian Dalam Negeri (KDN).
Seandainya diimbas, ia mungkin detik saat yang paling sukar untuk PKR, dengan hanya tinggal seorang ahli parlimen, iaitu Presidennya, Wan Azizah Wan Ismail setelah dibadai “gelombang biru” dalam PRU ke-11. Namun demikian, semangat perjuangan pimpinan dan anggotanya menjadi obor yang menerangkan kesuraman ini.
Ia tidak terhenti setakat pada ucapan Syed Husin Ali, atau seruan Ketua Penerangan ketika itu, Tian Chua semasa sesi penggulungan perbahasan dalam Kongres Nasional Tahunan, untuk berdemonstrasi menuntut hak penerbitan lidah parti. Kata-kata diterjemahkan kepada tindakan, apabila pimpinan dan anggota PKR turun gelanggang untuk berkumpul di bawah pejabat SUHAKAM pada 24 November 2006.
Protes hangat-hangat ayam?
Adegan tersebut tidak kelihatan lagi, biarpun PKR kini ditimpa nasib yang sama – permit Suara Keadilan tidak diperbaharui. Tindakan protes agak hangat sebermulanya, apabila PKR mengambil langkah untuk menerbitkan lidah partinya dalam bentuk edisi tidak berkala, bermula dengan Keadilan (12 Julai 2010), Obor Keadilan (19 Julai 2010), Sinar Keadilan (26 Julai 2010), Utusan Keadilan (2 Ogos 2010), Berita Keadilan (9 Ogos 2010) dan kemudiannya berhenti di Metro Keadilan (16 Ogos 2010).
“Saya rasa ini sedang diperjuangkan…” Syed Husin Ali, Timbalan Presiden PKR cuba mempertahankan partinya, dalam satu wawancara bersama MerdekaReview, yang diadakan di pejabatnya, semalam.
Jawapan beliau ditemukan dengan soalan susulan, “Tetapi mengapa ia diberhentikan?”
“Ada perubahan dalam Suara Keadilan…” Beliau akhirnya mengakur, menceritakan bagaimana organ parti ini diambil alih oleh “golongan yang dianggap profesional”, dari tangan “orang yang bersemangat tetapi dianggap tidak profesional”.
Pengambil-alihan ini berlaku selepas tsunami politik, apabila PKR dilambung dengan harapan tinggi daripada rakyat. Babak ini menyaksikan bagaimana Zunar, Ketua Pengarang dengan kakitangannya dalam Suara Keadilan, terpaksa memberi laluan kepada pasukan editorial baru.
“Test (ujian) yang pertama ialah golongan profesional ini, misalnya kali pertama, dua tahun lalu, (Suara Keadilan) dihentikan, (selepas tsunami), sudah dihentikan. Suara Keadilan tak ada permit, mereka berundur. Yang profesional takut.”
Syed Husin Ali (gambar kiri) menyambung, “Dan saya kata waktu itu, keluarkan (terbitkan), buat atas nama saya. Dan mereka teruskan. Tapi yang meneruskan ialah golongan yang bersemangat dan berani itu. Tetapi, apabila golongan yang profesional ini mengambil alih, walaupun saya katakan nama permit tu nama saya, saya ambil tanggungjawab, tapi mereka kurang berani.”
Profesional tetapi tak berani?
Di sini ia memperlihatkan satu perubahan dalam sikap, yang berlaku di kalangan anggota mahupun pimpinan parti. Syed Husin Ali mengakuinya, “Tapi, itu tak bererti terus mengalah begitu sahaja. Sebab sekarang, salah satu sebab, golongan profesional ini dia memikirkan soal kewangan, untung-rugi, kan? Dan bila tak ada wang, dia tak berani nak keluarkan.”
Apakah fenomena ini membimbangkan Timbalan Presiden, yang bakal berundur? “Ada, ada kemungkinannya nilai-nilai kebendaan dan kewangan mendominasi dalam parti. Kebimbangan itu ada. Ini bukan masalah parti. Ini masalah seluruh masyarakat. Seluruh dunia. Dan sangat susah untuk kita menongkah arus… Orang yang bodoh-bodoh macam saya sahaja…”
Beliau ketawa bersama wartawan, untuk jawapan yang tidak perlu dijelaskan lagi. Tetapi, bukankah ia satu sindiran yang sinis, apabila PKR mampu mengharungi rintangan ini pada zaman yang paling sukar buat partinya, tetapi kini dengan segala syarat atau kelebihan yang ada, misalnya kuasa kerajaan negeri, bilangan wakil rakyat yang bertambah, ia pula senang mengalah?
Syed Husin Ali terpaksa mengakuinya, sambil meluahkan apa yang terpendam, “Ini satu fenomena yang kurang baik, kerana lebih sibuk sekarang ini dengan soal-soal kerajaan, dengan soal jadi wakil rakyat, dengan soal jadi ADUN, daripada memikirkan kerja-kerja dan sumbangan terhadap rakyat.”
Melihat kepada senario ini, mungkin ada yang menganggap teguran ahli politik veteran ini masih diperlukan dalam PKR. Tetapi, secara terus-terang beliau berkata, “Walaupun saya berada di situ, ataupun tak ada di situ, perkara ini akan berlaku…”
Peranan Soh Chee Wen
Jelas, sesuatu yang “tidak kena” berlaku dalam PKR itu sendiri. Kemasukan “golongan yang dianggap profesional, tetapi tidak bersemangat” ke dalam parti selepas tsunami politik pada tahun 2008, harus diteliti. Wartawan seterusnya menyebut nama “Soh Chee Wen”, yang dibangkitkan oleh Zaid Ibrahim secara terbuka baru-baru ini dalam kenyataannya…
Soalannnya berbunyi, “Sejauh manakah peranan Soh Chee Wen dalam parti?”
“Sekarang tak ada,” jawab Syed Husin Ali.
“Dulu ada?” tanya wartawan.
“Dulu ada, dari segi kewangan…” Syed Husin Ali jelas teragu-ragu, mungkin dikhuatiri sama ada dirinya membongkar rahsia parti, yang sebenarnya sudah menjadi rahsia terbuka.
“Sekarang tak ada. Sekarang tidak boleh lagi.” Apabila wartawan mendesak, beliau dengan lantas menjawab, “Saya tidak tahu”. Bagaimanapun, akhirnya beliau memberi bayangan, “Baca Free Malaysia Today, kaji siapa di belakangnya… Adakah ia menganggap parti sebagai kawan, atau lawan?”
Namun, jelas Syed Husin Ali terusik dengan kenyataan Zaid Ibrahim, Pengerusi Majlis Pimpinan PKR Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, yang mempersoalkan, bukankah Soh Chee Wen sahabat Anwar? 【Siapakah ‘”Musuh Parti” dalam PKR?】
“Saya akan kata, satu waktu dulu…” Syed Husin Ali menjelaskan, “Anwar pun sahabat baik dengan ramai orang yang telah keluar daripada parti. Sama ada anggota parlimen, ataupun orang yang pernah aktif dalam parti. Tetapi bila mengambil satu sikap yang tertentu, takkan boleh katakan mereka tu bekerjasama ataupun sepandangan.”
“Sudah berubah, sudah berubah…” Demikianlah yang diulangi oleh ahli politik yang berusia 74 tahun ini. Beliau menambah, perhubungan antara orang dengan keadaan sentiasa berubah dalam politik, sehingga orang mengatakan “tiada yang tetap dalam politik”.
“Maka tak usahlah dibangkitkan bahawa hubungan mereka yang baik seketika dahulu, apabila keadaan sudah berubah sekarang,” kata Syed Husin Ali.
Soh Chee Wen dikatakan memainkan peranan yang aktif seketika dahulu di ibu pejabat PKR. Bagaimanapun, beliau kini telah meninggalkan pejabatnya, kebetulan tidak lama selepas bekas Setiausaha Agung, Salehuddin Hashim meletak jawatan.
Soh Chee Wen, bekas pemimpin yang berkecimpung di antara dunia politik dan korporat, terkenal sebagai orang kanan Ling Liong Sik ketika Ling menerajui pimpinan MCA. Namun, hubungan Soh Chee Wen dengan Ling Liong Sik menjadi tegang semasa kemelut ekonomi pada tahun 1997, malah Soh melarikan diri ke luar negara setelah disabit dengan tuduhan jenayah komersial.
“Dana sumbangan” merupakan sesuatu yang lumrah dalam operasi parti politik. Dalam dunia realiti, udang tetap akan bersembunyi di sebalik batu. Dana sumbangan tidak datang secara percuma…
“Ada, ” Syed Husin Ali cuba menafikan, menjelaskan bahawa “ada yang menderma dan tidak begitu demanding (permintaan yang banyak)”. Beliau menambah, tanpa merujuk kepada siapa-siapa, “Dia (penyumbang dana politik) tidak boleh menggunakan wang sebagai leverage (pengaruh) untuk menentukan dasar.”
“Mana-mana parti politik tidak akan keberatan untuk menerima sumbangan yang ikhlas, tetapi bukan dikenakan syarat, misalnya siapa yang hendak diangkat (menjadi pimpinan), rancangan apa yang dijalankan, atau dasar apa yang perlu dilaksanakan…” tegas beliau.
Sementara mengalu-alukan sokongan kebendaan dan moral, Syed Husin Ali berterus-terang, “Sebenarnya parti tidak seharusnya bergantung kepada orang-orang tertentu. Sama ada dari segi kewangan ataupun dari segi organisasi. Ataupun dari segi politik. Tak boleh. Bahkan parti tak boleh bergantung hanya pada Anwar.”
“Parti harus bergantung kepada organisasi, dasar dan sebagainya…” tegas Syed husin Ali. (Bahagian pertama, bersambung)
Merdeka Review
The first nine PKR divisions which held their AGM today unanimously nominated Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as party president.
For the party’s deputy president post, three out of nine divisions nominated Azmin Ali (Langkawi, Kubang Pasu, Rantau Panjang), while four divisions nominated Zaid Ibrahim (Alor Setar, Kota Bahru, Pasir Mas, Tumpat).
Two others picked up one nomination each. They are Mustaffa Kamil Ayub (Kuala Kedah) and Tian Chua (Pokok Sena).
For the four vice-president’s posts, R Sivarasa (5 nominations) is leading the race, followed closely by Lee Boon Chye, Shamsul Iskandar, Azmin Ali and Fuziah Salleh (4) appear to be the favourite candidates.
List of individuals nominated for the vice-president’s post, along with the names of the divisions that nominated them, follows:
R Sivarasa (5 – Alor Setar, Pokok Sena, Kota Bharu, Pasir Mas, Tumpat)
Lee Boon Chye (4 – Kubang Pasu, Alor Setar, Pokok Sena, Kuala Kedah)
Shamsul Iskandar (4 – Kubang Pasu, Alor Setar, Kuala Kedah, Rantau Panjang)
Azmin Ali (4 – Pokok Sena, Kuala Kedah, Pasir Mas, Tumpat)
Fuziah Salleh (4 – Langkawi, Alor Setar, Rantau Panjang, Pasir Mas)
Mustaffa Kamil Ayub (3 – Kubang Pasu, Kota Bharu, Pasir Mas)
Nurul Izzah Anwar (3 – Rantau Panjang, Kota Bharu, Tumpat)
Mansor Othman (3 – Langkawi, Kubang Pasu, Rantau Panjang)
Chua Jui Meng (2 – Langkawi, Tumpat)
Khalid Ibrahim (1 – Kota Bharu)
Zaid Ibrahim (1 – Pokok Sena)
Zambri Yusoff (1 – Langkawi)
Yahya Sahri – (1 – Kuala Kedah)
PKR’s 204 divisions are holding two separate meetings – the first to elect divisional leaders beginning this weekend, and a second meeting to nominate 26 supreme council members, including president, deputy president and four vice-presidents.
The divisions will vote for top national leaders over four weekends from Oct 29 to Nov 21.
The Pengkala Chepa division was unable to meet today because the quorum was not met. A new date for a meeting will have to be determined.
In Kedah, several divisions saw new leaders being elected.
The Kubang Pasu division saw novices Mohamad Fadzli Abdul Halim and Zulkifli Yaakob winning the division chief and deputy chief post respective.
For the Alor Setar division, Teh Kok Su and Mohd Zahir Abu Bakar won the top two divisional posts.
In Kuala Kedah, Dr Azman Ismail is the new division chief while his deputy Ahmad Kassim, who is also Kuala Kedah MP, retained the seat uncontested.
Mkini
It’s official – PKR deputy president Syed Husin Ali will not be defending his post at the upcoming party elections.
Syed Husin, who was appointed senator last year, has been the deputy president for two terms since the merger of his Parti Rakyat Malaysia and Parti Keadilan to form Parti Keadilan Rakyat in 2003.
The decision by the veteran politician to quit as party’s No 2 will pave the way for a much anticipated contest between two rivals – vice-president Azmin Ali and supreme council member Zaid Ibrahim.
Syed Husin said that he made the decision not to contest after consulting party leaders, family and friends.
He will nevertheless continue to remain active in politics.
“I’ll be 74 years old next month. I hope I can spend more time on writting and accompany my wife, children and grandchildren.
“I don’t think I’m that old yet, but I want to make way for young blood,” he said.
He was however tight-lipped when asked who he would support in the race for deputy presidency between Azmin and Zaid.
“I hope the members will choose a leader who is true to the struggles of PKR and has a strong stand against corruption,” he said.
Syed Husin denied he was hard pressed to withdraw from the polls after a group of PKR MPs and state assemblypersons came out openly last week to support Azmin for the no 2 spot.
“No, I’m not under pressure. If I’m under pressure, it’s my moral duty to inform the party.”
Asked for his opinion on Zaid’s claim that he would face a fate similar to former deputy prime minister Ghafar Baba, Syed Husin said, “It’s up to him to comment. Maybe he is playing underdog tactics. Maybe he is not confident. But I don’t think he will face the same fate.”
Mkini
PETALING JAYA, Sept 13 — PKR’s national election committee has advised supporters of candidates vying for positions to turn down the rhetoric and refer to the party election code of conduct before the mudslinging goes too far.
Its chief, Dr Molly Cheah, told The Malaysian Insider that it has already noted several election guideline infractions in the race for the PKR deputy president’s post — even before official nominations.
“Technically they are putting the horse before the cart. The candidates have not even been nominated, while some have not even come out to say they will contest,” she said.
The most obvious breach was that members should not abuse their position and powers within the party for the purpose of influencing the election results.
Earlier last week, PKR MPs and assemblymen from Selangor and Negri Sembilan —some of them state executive councillors — came out to endorse Azmin Ali for deputy president’s post.
Dr Cheah said she was disappointed with the conduct of elected representatives for not adhering to the guidelines.
She also took to task PKR supreme council member Datuk Zaid Ibrahim for lamenting to the media that there was a move to discredit him after he announced his intention to contest the deputy presidency.
Dr Cheah pointed out that, despite public interest, the elections were an internal party matter and Zaid’s statements may tarnish PKR’s image.
The former law minister, according to Dr Cheah, should have raised the matter with her committee by lodging a formal complaint.
The election guidelines prohibit members from defaming, insulting or attacking candidates, their personal life or their families while campaigning.
“It’s unfortunate and we are very concerned,” she said of the recent incidents.
The briefing on the election code of conduct had been held at all levels since June and candidates or supporters cannot claim ignorance, she explained.
While the committee had yet to receive any official complaints, Dr Cheah warned that they would not hesitate to take actions if parties were found to have breached guidelines.
She added that it was also in the interest of candidates aiming for top posts to follow the basic rules to prevent the election process from being too bruising.
“PKR needs to close ranks after the elections and no leader wants to inherit a party which is split,” she concluded.
PKR amended its constitution last year allowing all 400,000 members to vote for divisional leaders and the 25 members of the central leadership council — including the president, deputy president and four vice-presidents.
The party’s 218 divisions will hold two separate meetings: One for the annual general meeting and election of divisional leaders, and a second meeting to vote for national leaders.
The divisions will vote for national leaders on weekends, from October 29 to November 21.
Berikut adalah jawapan dari pegawai-pegawai MB Selangor berkenaan surat layang yang kononnya ditulis oleh Azmin Ali kepada MB sebelum PRK Hulu Selangor untuk memburuk-burukkan zaid ibrahim, bekas ahli umno yang baru menyertai keADILan:
Petikan dari Malaysiakini –
His political secretary Faekah Husin said: “No such letter was received by the MB before the by-election”.
(SU Politik MB Faekah menyatakan: ” Tiada surat sedemikian diterima oleh MB sebelum PRK Hulu Selangor”
Khalid’s former political secretary at the time of the by-election Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad also dismissed the letter.
(Mantan SU politik Khalid pada ketika PRK tersebut, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad juga menyanggah menerima surat tersebut).
“I have never seen such letter. I don’t think Azmin wrote it. This is very silly,” he said.
(“Saya tidak pernah lihat surat sebegini. Saya tidak fikir Azmin tuliskannya. Ini adalah sangat BODOH”: kata beliau)
Questions were also raised on why the letter would be addressed to Khalid, urging him to “review” the party’s decision to field Zaid as a candidate when it is PKR political bureau which decides on by-election candidates.
(Ia juga menimbulkan persoalan mengapa surat ini ditujukan kepada Khalid yang meminta beliau untuk menyemak semula keputusan parti untuk meletakkan zaid sebagai calon, sebaliknya hanya Biro politik keADILan sahaja yang akan menentukan siapa yang akan menjadi calon) – Pelik ya, surat yang sepatutnya dituju kepada biro politik, badan yang akan menentukan calon keADILan, hanya diterima oleh Khalid sahaja???
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Disebabkan oleh teringin sangat jawatan Timbalan Presiden keADILan, team zaid ibrahim sanggup membuat apa sahaja untuk menjatuhkan lawan beliau.
Sudah la di umno dulu, beliau didakwa melakukan rasuah, sekarang, setelah diterima masuk ke keADILan, team beliau terbawa-bawa dengan budaya umno yang jijik & busuk lagi membusukkan kerana gila kuasa.
Apa yang mereka lakukan hanya untuk melumpuhkan parti keADILan & harus dinyahkan dari parti ini jika kita hendak melihat PRU13 dimenangi oleh PR.
Jika hendak berkempen biar la dengan cara yang elok & bukan dengan menggunakan surat layang ala umno flip flop. Kalau hari ini umno flip-flop, besok jikalau zaid ibrahim menang, beliau & teamnya akan tukar keADILan menjadi keADILan flip flop.
Saya kesal kerana menyokong beliau sewaktu PRK Hulu Selangor dulu & tidak akan teragar-agar untuk kempen untuk memastikan zaid ibrahim gagal menjadi Timbalan Presiden kerana si munafik ini hanya akan merosakkan parti & barisan PR.
Mari la kita sama-sama jatuh orang yang munafik ini.
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PKR polls get ugly as poison-pen letter emerges
A letter purportedly penned by PKR vice-president Azmin Ali condemning Zaid Ibrahim is being circulated online ahead of the party polls.
The letter lists out 32 reasons why Pakatan Rakyat coordinator Zaid Ibrahim should not be fielded by PKR in the Hulu Selangor by-election in April.
The blogosphere is now rife with claims that the letter, addressed to Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim, was proof that Azmin was out to undermine Zaid through dirty tactics.
The letter had listed down a slew of reasons, among them stating that BN will target Zaid’s moral character and paint him as “an alcoholic who loves to gamble”.
It was also said in the letter that Umno will take advantage his record of money politics in Umno, from which he was sacked in Dec 2008 after eight years of membership.
‘Not Azmin’s style’
While Azmin himself cannot be reached for comment on the letter, Khalid’s officers have denied that the MB had received it.
His political secretary Faekah Husin said: “No such letter was received by the MB before the by-election”.
Khalid’s former political secretary at the time of the by-election Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad also dismissed the letter.
“I have never seen such letter. I don’t think Azmin wrote it. This is very silly,” he said.
However, Zaid refused to confirm or deny the authenticity of the letter.
“I knew during the Hulu Selangor (by-election) that some people did not want me to win. I believe it was sent from a Blackberry (mobile phone),” he told Malaysiakini in a text message.
Letter an election ploy?
But the letter, dated April 5, had raised eyebrows within PKR with some dismissing it as a “fake”, especially when the party is nearing its elections slated to be held at the end of this year.
With contest for deputy presidency between Zaid and Azmin hotting up, many PKR insiders are speculating that it could be an election ploy to influence the voters.
It was also previously speculated the Zaid-Azmin relationship has been frosty with the most recent example when Zaid’s camp had openly blamed Azmin for sabotaging the by-election campaign, causing Zaid to lose to MIC’s P Kamalanathan.
Questions were also raised on why the letter would be addressed to Khalid, urging him to “review” the party’s decision to field Zaid as a candidate when it is PKR political bureau which decides on by-election candidates.
Khalid was the party’s election machinery chief for the Hulu Selangor by-election campaign.
Wong Teck Chi/Mkini
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