AS the PKR elections enter the final phase this weekend in Sabah, candidates and party leaders have expressed frustration at the inability of the committee running the polls to handle problems that have marred the process so far.

Voting, which began on September 22 and held in stages by state, has been completed in the peninsula, save for a few places requiring new votes because of problems.

But the central elections committee (JPP) has not satisfactorily addressed complaints of sabotage, money politics and technical problems with the e-voting system that earlier caused results to be nullified or incomplete in some areas.

More recent complaints include the discovery of a telecommunications jammer at the polling venue in Kuala Selangor last weekend. It blocked the internet connection and caused e-votes to be unrecorded.

Internet problems have also disrupted the voting process in Kedah, while in Malacca, some 2,000 e-votes were not recorded for the same reason.

Claims of money politics by the main rival camps – deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali’s and vice-president Rafizi Ramli’s – have been thrown about but the JPP’s response has been uninspiring, saying that there is a lack of solid proof to warrant further action.

One allegation of money politics involved central leadership committee candidate Zakaria Hamid, the political secretary of Works Minister Baru Bian. 

A police report was lodged against Zakaria in late September alleging that he had offered infrastructure contracts worth RM20,000 to some PKR grassroots leaders if they voted for him.

Another case involved two PKR division chiefs in Kedah who allegedly solicited RM20,000 from a divisional candidate in exchange for their support.

And a team Rafizi candidate for a vice-president’s post was alleged to have bought support from a woman with a cheque for RM500. The candidate, S. Kesavan, who is also Sungai Siput MP, said it was a misunderstanding as the cheque issued from his service centre was meant as welfare aid.

The PKR polls are being fought by camps aligned to Azmin and Rafizi, who is attempting to wrest the number two post from the former.

Besides claims of money politics and of sabotage of the e-voting system, Rafizi’s team has also alleged that Azmin was out to prevent PKR president-elect Anwar Ibrahim from becoming prime minister.

Other problems that have cropped up include voting by non-members and by military personnel, who are not supposed to be members of political parties.

JPP deputy director Dr Adzman Hedra acknowledged the problems but stressed that the e-voting system was very efficient and “could not be deceived”.

“It is an original system created by PKR and I do not say it is perfect, but it covers all bases. We should be proud of it. Some problems will occur but conceptually, the system has no problem. We just need to improve a few things,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

Fix the problem

It’s not the concept party leaders have a problem with but implementation and human manipulation.

PKR Wanita chief Zuraida Kamaruddin believes the use of a telecommunications jammer in Kuala Selangor recently was sabotage and wants the JPP to act against such tactics.

Vice-president Chua Tian Chang has also raised concerns that similar problems will arise in Sabah, where polls are held this weekend, and Sarawak on November 10.

A few more places – the Kuala Selangor division, all divisions in Malacca and the Jelebu branch in Negri Sembilan – are set for re-elections on November 11 following problems with voting earlier.

“I think the real issue is human weakness because what happened in Kuala Selangor is not a problem with the system. There were people who were sabotaging the voting process. I think this should involve the police as there are criminal elements,” Chua said.

Youth chief candidate Akmal Nasir, who is aligned to Rafizi, said the JPP must be fair and free of bias if it is to address the various complaints.

Central leadership committee candidate Rashid Hasnon said the JPP should be proactive as the party’s e-voting system was the first of its kind to be used among Malaysian political parties and would set the standard for other parties.

Kapar MP Abdullah Sani, who is also contesting a seat on the central leadership council, said problems must be fixed for once and for all if the party intends to use the same system again in its next elections.

“The JPP needs to be more sensitive, more proactive and more coordinated so that we can have confidence in the system,” he said.

On the JPP’s part, Adzman said they would accept all criticism and recommendations for improvements.

Giving assurance that voting for Sabah and Sarawak will be held smoothly, he said the committee will rely on Form 11 which is a written record of a candidate’s vote.

“We do have a Plan B. If the (internet) line is not good, we will enter the voting data offline.” – November 2, 2018.