Rafizi accused of breaching group campaign rule

Summary

• Complaints have reportedly been lodged against Rafizi Ramli for releasing a voting guide of those on his team for the PKR polls.

• If the complaints are made to the election committee, Rafizi risks either a reprimand or disqualification.

Complaints have reportedly been lodged against incumbent PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli after he published a voting guide of candidates campaigning together with him.

Malaysiakini was made to understand that the complaints accused Rafizi of breaching a campaign ethics rule for this party election, which barred candidates from campaigning as a group.

Specifically, the rule bars any campaign material, physical or digital, as well as any other form of campaigning that reflects a “group campaign”.

However, the rules don’t spell out a specific punishment for breaching this rule; beyond that, disciplinary action can be taken.

It is not clear to whom the complaints were lodged.

However, a ranking party source said that if the complaints were lodged with the PKR election committee - the latter could either give a warning or even resort to disqualification.

Malaysiakini has contacted election committee chairperson Dr Zaliha Mustafa for comment.

Rafizi not bothered

For Rafizi, whether he is reprimanded or disqualified will likely be shrugged off.

He has been counterintuitively campaigning on a platform that he will lose against Nurul Izzah Anwar, which some observers believe is an attempt to subvert expectations.

Though Rafizi claims that his rivals have stacked the cards to make it impossible for him to win, the PKR delegates system - which gives both winners and losers at the divisional polls representation to vote in the central election - does still give him a fighting chance.

Whether or not he personally wins, the “cai” or voting guide he released - which lists all his allies contesting from the four vice-president spots to the Youth wing committee - will ensure that at least some of those on his team secure posts in the party leadership.

The rule against voting guides - which is part of a set of campaign ethics to promote fairness - was introduced against a history of deep-rooted factionalism within the party.

No ‘cai’ for Nurul Izzah

In contrast to Rafizi’s campaign, Nurul Izzah does not appear to have a clear team formed around her, and neither has a voting guide for her been made public.

However, she has appeared on the campaign trail together with others contesting in the party election, including vice-president candidates Amirudin Shari and Sim Tze Tzin.

Multiple other candidates, including central leadership committee hopeful Adam Adli Abd Halim, have also openly endorsed Nurul Izzah.

It is not clear whether sharing a campaign stage or endorsements will be considered a form of group campaigning as per the rules of the PKR election and disciplinary committees.

PKR heads to the polls this Friday.

PKR sec-gen swoops in to officiate wings' congress

Nurul Izzah brings 'momentum wave' like Rafizi did, Adam says

Rafizi: 'Opportunists' hijacking PKR via Nurul Izzah's camp

Resolve party issues internally, not through public spats - Sim tells Rafizi

PKR faces oblivion in a decade if infighting persists, warns Nurul Izzah

Anwar not too worried about intense PKR polls campaign