PKR POLLS | PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution (above) has disputed a Malaysiakini report alleging that 11,339 PKR members in Julau PKR membership list were sharing 11 dubious-looking addresses.

Speaking to Malaysiakini today, Saifuddin said the party membership record sighted by Malaysiakini for the report was not authentic.

"I went through (the membership record) one by one, page by page. Obviously, the allegation of saying that 11,000 members registered stayed in 11 addresses is not true," he said.

Yesterday, Malaysiakini, acting upon a tip-off from a reader, had scrutinised the addresses of the Julau PKR membership list which was dated Aug 16.

This document can be purchased by party members and Malaysiakini had verified its authenticity with Sarawak PKR sources.

What Malaysiakini discovered was that 11,339 records were sharing a pool of only 11 "addresses":

  • Lamujan, Pakan
  • Beketan, Meluan
  • Entabai, Meluan
  • Babai, Pakan
  • Julau, Meluan
  • Meluan, Meluan
  • Wuak, Pakan
  • Engkamup, Meluan
  • Dayu, Pakan
  • Balut, Meluan
  • Rayah, Meluan

Unlike addresses typically observed in other Sarawak PKR divisions, these 11,339 records only stated a combination of voting district and state constituency under the address field.

Typically, Sarawak PKR membership records for rural Sarawakians would use a specific name of a longhouse or village in the address field.

Human error

Saifuddin told Malaysiakini that he has experienced "hostility" from Sarawak PKR's leadership while suggesting that Malaysiakini might have sighted an inaccurate membership list.

On Malaysiakini's discovery that there were at least 874 cases of duplicate membership numbers appearing in the list and 21 instances of triplicated membership numbers, Saifuddin said this will not affect the party election.

"When you are voting through the e-voting system, the system will reject (the member) if it finds out there are duplicated identity card or membership numbers," he said.

He said problems with membership numbers could have been due to "human error".

PKR has two methods of registering party members - the first is the traditional pen-and- paper method, and the other is online registration.

Saifuddin said after the May 9 general election, there was a surge in membership applications which caused the online registration system to crash.

Following this, the party's central leadership council (MPP) decided to allow registration details to be submitted in a spreadsheet file format, contained in a thumb drive.

"It is now causing some problems because we have loosened some of the condition (to apply as a member).

"Once you have loosened it, people will start applying through forms. It causes many kinds of issues, such as the same addresses and identity card number, among others," he said.

In the case of Julau PKR, Saifuddin said everything was done transparently at the party's headquarters.

Sng's 13,000 applications

On June 12, Julau MP Larry Sng had submitted over 13,000 membership applications well ahead of the June 26 cutoff date for new members to enjoy voting rights, according to Saifuddin.

He said these applications were approved by the party's political bureau and the data was incorporated into the party records on June 27.

Saifuddin said no objections on the Julau PKR membership were received within the stipulated objection period - a point which some Sarawak PKR leaders have conceded when asked by Malaysiakini.

According to the party's constitution, only the division committee members can raise objections, he said.

Saifuddin suggested that the ongoing attempts to invalidate the Julau PKR membership were in part due to Sarawak PKR's hostility towards Larry (photo).

Larry and his father Chee Hua are both major figures in Sarawak politics. Larry has been a state lawmaker and assistant minister to former chief minister Taib Mahmud while Chee Hua has been a state lawmaker and, incidentally, the Julau MP in the past.

Saifuddin said Larry had produced a major feat during the May 9 election by winning the Julau seat as an independent against a BN heavyweight.

This contest was a straight fight between Larry and his former Parti Rakyat Sarawak colleague Joseph Salang Gandum.

"When Larry crossed over to PKR, he brought a large group of his supporters with him. How can it be an offence?

"If you make noise after that (objection period), how can you punish a person just because he was able to register a large group of new members?" asked Saifuddin.

In recent weeks, there have been several reports by individuals who claim that they were illegitimately incorporated into Julau PKR's membership records.

An MACC investigation on the matter is also underway.

RELATED REPORTS

PKR clears Julau division of 'dubious spike' in membership

The June rush to register members before PKR polls

PKR’s membership spike sparks concern ahead of polls