The Bukit Gelugor PKR division polls scheduled for Sunday are expected to be one of the dirtiest after Bayan Baru if damning text messages condemning hopeful candidates currently making its rounds among members are anything to go by.

Messages so far received by the challenger for the division chairman post, Lim Boo Chang and his Team Progressive, allegedly range from accusing candidates of being drunkards involved in a recent brawl among villagers to urging members not to vote ‘frogs' into the party's leadership.

NONE Lim ( right ), a former Dato Keramat assemblyperson, is unfortunately tagged as such by certain quarters within the party as he had jumped from Gerakan to MCA, before joining PKR after the political tsunami of March 2008.

He is likened to Bayan Baru's recently defeated Team Rakyat leader M Nyanasegaran, who left Gerakan and then MIC to join PKR, and is expected to face a tough fight with incumbent and Batu Uban assemblyperson S Raveentharan.

Raveentharan, a lawyer, is supposedly linked and supported by Team Reformis leader and Pantai Jerejak assemblyperson Sim Tze Tsin, who has been accused as having cheated his way to victory last week.

Attempt at curbing abuses during campaign

Upset by the ‘unfounded' allegations in the SMSes and several ‘irregularities' leading up to the polls, Lim has written to party secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail and election committee chairperson Molly Cheah requesting effective supervision of the contest.

Lim, who is Bukit Gelugor deputy chief, said he wrote the letter to curb incidents of ‘abuses and mishaps' to ensure the division would not be plagued by similar alleged malpractices said to have surfaced in last week's Bayan Baru polls.

penang pkr adun raveentharan police report At a press conference in Taman Tun Sardon last night, Lim said Raveentharan ( right ) and his team "must comply with rules and regulations that have been set by the party.

"We always condemn the Barisan Nasional for not complying with rules so before Pakatan Rakyat can assume leadership we must prove that we have the necessary administrative capability, management skills, and be fair and transparent," he added.

He later raised eight points to strengthen his call to ensure that the polls are free from wrongdoings; they include:

  •  Enough election officers and receipt books for members to collect payment of annual fees of RM2 each;
  • That only 1,790 authentic ballot papers are ready for valid voting members (of the same number);
  • That the number of ballot papers issued tally with the number of papers remaining (1,790) before vote counting begins;
  • That not only Raveentharan's helpers are allowed in the voting hall, that Lim's proposed helpers and NGOs are also permitted in;
  • That candidates (from both sides) or their agents are present from beginning to end of the voting and counting process and,
  • That there would be no campaigning in the voting hall.

Since the matter was urgent, Lim had urged the duo to respond to his letter dated Sept 29 by Sunday to ensure "confidence of party members" in the supervision and conduct of the polls.

However, it is learnt that Lim has not obtained the much-awaited reply from the duo.

Of gambling cards, bottles and politics

Meanwhile, Raveentharan, who is calling a press conference in Taman Brown at 11am today, has claimed that he, too, has not been spared the 'dirty campaigning' .

NONE It is learnt that he has received several notices for defamation from Lim related to a police report which he had lodged against the latter for being allegedly involved in a recent Hari Raya open house incident.

The kerfuffle, which broke out at Kg Hamna, Sungai Dua, weeks ago, near Universiti Sains Malaysia had reportedly occurred between the villagers and several outsiders who were present at the private function.

Police had reportedly intervened by firing a shot to ease the tension between the feuding parties when gambling cards and several beer bottles, considered forbidden for Muslims, were allegedly spotted at the premises.