GE13: PKR supreme council member quits

A Sabah PKR youth leader, upset with the way the party treats its young members, claims that PKR central had not kept its promise.

KOTA KINABALU: On the back of scathing accusations hurled at PKR’s national leaders by Sabah’s Ansari Abdullah, over its lack of respect for Sabah divisions’ decisions, another of the party’s officials here has quit his post.

A member of PKR’s National Supreme Council Jeffrey Jomion quit the party saying that it had failed to keep its promise of fielding 30% new faces in the 13th general election.

Jomion, who was a former Sabah Youth chief, said he was unhappy with the way the party was administered.

He was particularly upset with the way PKR treated its youth members.

“I have worked hard for the party but, as the PKR candidate list showed, only one person from the PKR youth chapter has been nominated.

“The party always spoke about fielding 30% of new faces for GE13 but this hasn’t happened,” he said.
Jomion has since joined the Sabah chapter of the State Reform Party (STAR).

He announced his resignation yesterday after STAR announced its manifesto and candidates for the May 5 polls.
Tomorrow is nomination day and STAR is expected to field at least 48 candidates for its state and 15 parliamentary seats.

PKR meanwhile is set to contest in 43 state and 19 parliament seats.

PKR betrayed Sabah

Earlier today Ansari, also a PKR national Supreme Council member accused PKR national leaders of betraying its Sabah members.

Aiming his words at PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim he said: “If I am the president of the party, I will not give the symbol to a non-member.

“You have betrayed the PKR members for giving the party’s symbol to somebody who is not a member.”

Ansari was responding to PKR’s announced candidates list which saw Angkatan Perubahan Sabah (APS), a reform movement-led by Tuaran MP Wilfred Bumburing being allocated 12 state and five parliament seats.

Another group led by Beaufort MP Lajim Ukin was given 11 state and four parliament seats.

Foreseeing such a ‘hijack’, Ansari had announced, within days of the dissolution parliament, that seven divisions in Sabah had nominated seven candidates including himself for Tuaran.

PKR national deputy president Azmin Ali had rubbished this and Sabah chief Ahmad Thamrin Jaini had toed the line.

Many have attributed Ansari’s anger to him not being nominated, but Ansari said the issue was not about him instead it was about promises made and party procedures.

“This is a question of principle, party and discipline. For us, we have a party and constitution. Most of the division chiefs are hurt (by the PKR central committee’s decision).

“The divisions made a decision, but the decision is not respected. It is about the promise to treat us as equal partners.

“They (division chiefs) are questioning how can a NGO which is not registered as a political party be involved in politics. It is against the law,” he said.

Both Bumburing and Lajim had defected from Barisan Nasional in July last year. The decision to accommodate APS and PPPS forced the PKR leadership to drop many of its senior Sabah leaders.