Sarawak PKR has lodged a report today with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) on alleged irregularities concerning the registration of new members in the Julau division.

The report was lodged by Sarawak PKR information chief Vernon Kedit at the MACC headquarters in Kuching this morning.

Kedit, who on Monday had made a statutory declaration declaring the registration of over 12,000 new members in the division was irregular and illegal, told journalists that his report had requested the anti-graft watchdogs to conduct an investigation “to ascertain if there were any abuse of power or misuse of power by certain party leaders in covering up the irregularities and illegalities stated in our SD”.

The PKR state leaders’ grouse is the sudden spike in the number of members from 603 members on June 26 to 13,000 a day later.

When party secretary general Saifuddin Nasution stated on Tuesday he could no longer act because the membership lists for all PKR divisions have been finalised as the objection period has ended, state PKR leaders slammed him for failing to attend to their objections lodged before the deadline.

Sarawak PKR secretary Nicholas Bawin said yesterday two written objections were submitted to the party headquarters which were never acknowledged by Saifuddin.

Bawin said the first objection was submitted on August 18 by Julau division chairman Semana Sawang, while the second was on September 10 by the state committee.

He said these objections were submitted well before the stipulated deadline.

Bawin, who was among scores of state leaders who accompanied Kedit to lodge the report, said Sarawak PKR went to the MACC because “we are left with no choice, as the irregularities and illegalities which we have been raising within party channels have been ignored”.

Bawin, in response to Saifuddin’s statement, said Sarawak PKR is very disappointed that the secretary-general “did not see fit to officially or unofficially acknowledge nor respond to these two written objections”.

Sarawak PKR vice president and Batu Lintang assemblyman See Chee How was among the state leaders who accompanied Kedit.

See is also Kedit’s legal counsel.

Bawin questioned why Saifuddin did not act on the first objection by Semana and accused him of “blatant dereliction of duties”.

He also said the call by vice-president Chua Tian Chang that oversights and erroneous calculations be rectified in order to overcome the credibility discrepancy of the party election process should be heeded.

The report lodged with the MACC today is part of an ongoing dispute between Julau MP Larry Sng, who joined the party after winning the Dayak-majority seat in the May general election, and the established hierarchy. – October 25, 2018.