Out of the 12 Selangor PKR divisions where voting for the party leadership was called off yesterday, 10 will have to conduct re-polling, PKR elections committee chairperson Johari Abdul said today.

Technical problems, lack of monitoring staff and the polling centres being non-conducive were among the reasons for elections at those divisions being called off, resulting in the re-polling, Johari ( left ) told a press conference.

He admitted that the party was a little bit caught by surprise by the crowd sizes, which ranged between 6,000 and 10,000, making it difficult for the PKR election officers handling the polls.

The divisions for which re-polling will be held are Hulu Langat, Sabak Bernam, Sungai Besar, Klang, Selayang, Kota Raja, Hulu Selangor, Kapar, Kuala Selangor and Subang. The divisions to escape re-polling are Shah Alam and Sepang.

'No hurry to conduct re-polling'

"We are in no hurry to conduct the re-polling. We have to make sure all the hiccups are resolved and complains reviewed. We will fall back on the party constitution. If it needs to take more than a month or two, why not?" Johari said.

He said the committee also received “one or two” complaints on incidents of chaos caused. Just five minutes before the closure of polling at the Kuala Langat division, he said, five youths came and created chaos.

"This will be investigated as we have video footage of the incident. We will not tolerate such interruptions," Johari said, adding that election candidates proven to be involved in the incident would be disqualified.  

The committee also confirmed that it has yet to receive any specific complaint on the bribery allegation made against deputy president aspirant and Selangor Mentri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim

"When we receive a complaint, we will not take immediate action against the accused but will investigate it first, " said Abdul Malek Hussein ( left ), who chairs the sub-committee on complaints and discipline under the PKR elections committee, when asked if Khalid would be called for questioning.

"So far, money politics in PKR is a non-issue," Malek said.

344 complaints, 241 investigated

 

Despite close to 100 candidates having been disqualified from the PKR elections, Johari called the current elections a success, given the huge number of 10,000 candidates contesting.

Meanwhile, the sub-committee on complaints and discipline has received 344 complaints and objections and has dealt with 241 cases, with the remaining 90 cases still being investigated.

"Out of 241 cases, 141 cases have been rejected while 100 objections were with basis," Malek said, adding that close to 100 candidates who contested for the central leadership council, Wanita and Youth wings and various divisions have been disqualified so far.

He said, the objections the sub-committee received were mainly on the candidates and the campaign and voting processes.

Johari said the committee has not received any report from the candidates over the fighting incidents yesterday, and that investigations would be conducted if such reports are received.

The party, he added, needed no independent auditor or observer, for it could handle the polling process and that its members were mature enough.