PKR demands RM10m from ex-members for breaching party bond in Sheraton Move

PKR has filed two civil suits against 16 former members, demanding that each of them pay a RM10 million bond for leaving the party during the Sheraton Move that contributed to the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan government in 2020.

Court documents showed that party secretary-general Fuziah Salleh was named as the sole plaintiff in both suits filed at the Kuala Lumpur High Court on Feb 19 and 27.

The Feb 19 suit named Baru Bian, Kamarudin Jaffar, Mansor Othman, Rashid Hasnon, Saifuddin Abdullah, and R Santhara Kumar as defendants.

The other suit named Yunus Jamahri, Azman Nasrudin, Afif Bahardin, Chong Fat Full, Daroyah Alwi, Haniza Mohamed Talha, Hilman Idham, Jailani Khamis, Robert Ling Kui Ee, and Zulkifli Ibrahim as defendants.

The party claimed that the RM10 million bond payment under its operative clause was triggered when the defendants left the party after being elected as lawmakers following the 14th general election (GE14) in 2018.

“Each of the defendants contested in GE14 under the party’s banner and was elected as a member of the respective state legislative for the respective constituency.

“On various dates, it was publicly known that certain of the defendants had ceased to be members of the party after having been elected under the party’s banner (where they) each thereafter aligned themselves, or supported a political coalition other than (PKR).

“Following that, the governing coalition at the federal level ceased to command a majority in the Dewan Rakyat and a new governing coalition was subsequently formed at the federal level.”

Subsequently, the document said, PKR issued certificates confirming the termination of the defectors between March 16 and July 24, followed by a formal demand for the bond to be paid.

However, she said, all the defendants have failed to pay the said sum or any part of it, leading to the legal actions.

“The party required the bond in order to protect its political brand, organisational investment, and electoral mandate,” the documents read.

The party also sought alternative relief of any sum deemed reasonable compensation by the court under Section 71 or Section 75 of the Contracts Act 1950, as well as five percent per annum on the judgment sum, costs, and further relief deemed fit.

Lawyer Navpreet Singh, representing the party, confirmed to the media that a case management has been fixed for March 17 and 27.

Similar suit against Zuraida

The party had previously filed a similar suit against former vice president Zuraida Kamaruddin in 2020.

The Kuala Lumpur High Court, on June 23, 2023, ordered Zuraida to pay RM10 million to the party after finding that the bond was a valid and binding contract.

The Court of Appeal upheld the decision in 2024, but reduced the amount to RM100,000.

PKR was granted leave to appeal against the reduction at the Federal Court last year.

PM promised me post to help nation recover, reveals PKR defector

PKR defector cites opposition disunity, inability to retake Putrajaya

Akmal wishes Zafrul luck after acceptance into PKR, says 'warning given'

'Born of traitors, Bersatu will keep facing betrayals'