Election fraud & underhanded tactics of PKR leaders in party elections

I, Jenapala a/l Perumal Subaan am holding this press conference to express my total disgust and extreme outrage at the rampant incidences of election fraud and underhanded tactics practiced by PKR party leaders Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Azmin Ali during the current party elections.

To show how serious I am of exposing these practices, I am committed to hold a press conference every Monday at this venue. For today, I will focus on five cases in particular.

1. PERMATANG PAUH – in this case, there were three contenders for the post of Timbalan Ketua Cabang - Deputy Chief Minister of Penang Mansor Othman, Roselai Muhamad and Che Mat Hashim, the incumbent. After submitting his name, Roselai suddenly withdrew on the day of the nomination after intense pressure to do so. In the case of Che Mat Hashim, he withdrew on the day before the elections and his supporters claim that he was pressured to do so by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. The removal of both these candidates paved the way for Mansor Othman, Deputy Chief Minister of Penang and one of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s blue eyed boys, to win uncontested.

Even more ironic, the Deputy Chief Minister Mansor Othman was allowed to host a big Hari Raya gathering on the day of the elections. Is this not a blatant disregard of campaign etiquette? This happened in Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s own backyard and could not have taken place without him knowing.

2. BATU GAJAH - The second case involves my nomination in Batu Gajah. When my name was written on the nomination board, a senior party leader, Vice President Lee Boon Chye openly rubbed off my name from the board and refused to allow me to participate in the party divisional elections. First of all, Lee Boon Chye has absolutely no authority whatsoever to do this. Secondly, he also has absolutely no authority whatsoever to decide on who participates in the elections.

3. USE OF THE SELANGOR STATE MACHINERY - I have also been informed by those at the grassroots level that Azmin Ali is abusing the Selangor government machinery - state excos are using their offices and allocations for the party elections while state information officers are coercing and inducing those at the grassroots level to support him. This is an insult to our Pakatan partners DAP and PAS and also the people of Selangor who elected them to serve the electorate.

4. OFFERS OF POSITIONS – Azmin Ali in his visit to Tuaran openly informed a gathering there that the candidate for Ketua Cabang Ansari Abdullah would also be a candidate for the general elections if he won. Azmin Ali has also offered Federal Cabinet positions to those who support him and ensure he becomes number two.

5. DISCREPANCIES IN KUDAT, SILAM, BANDAR INDERA MAHKOTA AND RAUB – as all of you are probably aware, in Kudat over 800 people turned up with incumbent Ketua Cabang Mursalim Tangul, most of whom had only temporary ICs and were identified on the ground as illegal immigrants. In Silam, incumbent Ketua Pemuda Silam and Timbalan Ketua Pemuda Negeri Johan bin Nul’s name could not be found on the membership list despite his nomination being accepted earlier. Johan bin Nul was subsequently disqualified and he could not compete. The winner, Johani bin Abdul Halim is a known Azmin Ali supporter.

In Bandar Indera Mahkota and Raub another suspicious incident occurred. After the close of elections and the initial counting, both candidates aligned to Dato’ Zaid Ibrahim were announced as winners. However in both divisions, a recount was called upon when several members turned up later insisting that they had not voted. Interestingly after the second recount, Azmin Ali won narrowly in both divisions.

CONCLUSION – I now want to challenge Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Azmin Ali to confirm or openly deny their involvement in the incidents I have just highlighted.

I also want to know whether Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is aware of the incident involving the senior party leader who called an Indian leader a ‘pariah’ and whether an apology has been offered to this Indian leader and the community at large.

To Dr Molly Cheah, the head of the JPP I would like to ask you this – do you have two sets of rules that you observe? One set for us ordinary members who want to contest in what you are preaching to be a ‘free and fair election’ and another set of rules for the elite cartel that runs PKR?

To the party leaders, I have only this to say - practice what you preach. We have been criticizing the Barisan Nasional and SPR for the unfair election practices. This is just not an election for PKR members. Malaysians are watching. Let them not be disappointed as I am as to how we have conducted ourselves so far.

Jenapala a/l Perumal Subaan
Ex Deputy Secretary, PKR