THE tussle for the presidency of Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM) has taken a turn for the worse with Larry Sng insisting he is the legitimate president and suspending the party’s secretary-general and information chief with immediate effect.

Sng, in a statement on his Facebook, said the suspension of secretary-general Nor Hizwan Ahmad and information chief Zakaria Abdul Hamid was in relation to the supreme council meeting held on October 7, which he said he did not call for.

In the meeting in Shah Alam, Selangor, a motion to appoint Ampang incumbent Zuraida Kamaruddin as the president to replace Sng was unanimously accepted, according to a statement Nor Hizwan released the day after.

The duo are said to be closely linked to Zuraida, the caretaker plantation industries and commodities minister with Nor Hizwan reportedly her former political secretary.

Sng said the supreme council meeting was a “political manoeuvre” as it was held at the same time as the tabling of Budget 2023 in parliament.

He said he was only informed of the meeting and its outcome after it was held.

“I strongly despise and condemn such political manoeuvring, which has undermined the trust of my leadership and have caused confusion to party members and the general public at large,” he said.

He added the position of the president was never vacant in the first place.

Sng said Nor Hizwan and Zakaria remain suspended until a disciplinary committee is set up to look into the matter.

He said the disciplinary hearing would be held after the general election.

The duties of the secretary-general will be taken over by Nor Hizwan’s deputy, Jenny Chiew.

Sng yesterday issued a statement insisting he is still PBM president and will be the one who will sign the appointment letter of candidates for the general election.

He said he had not resigned from the position nor relinquished his party membership.

The first sign of friction came when Zuraida, on a working visit to Kuching, told journalists that PBM will not be contesting in Sarawak.

Sng was swift in his reaction, taking to his Facebook that he will be defending his Julau seat.

In another development, PBM deputy president Haniza Talha called on Sng to attend the party’s supreme council meeting on November 3 to resolve questions raised over the position of Zuraida as the party’s legitimate president.

“The call to hold the meeting falls under clause 21(1) of PBM’s constitution, which allows the party’s supreme council, upon a written request by at least one-third of the total number of supreme council members to hold a meeting to resolve certain issues,” she said. – October 27, 2022.