PKR has again postponed its party election polling day, in place of the previous postponement of September 14 to September 22, said the party’s central election committee chairman, Rashid Din.

The deferment was announced in a circular issued by Rashid, and sighted by The Malaysian Insight.

It stated that the committee had discussed the voting date for division and state levels, and that a new date – October 28 instead of September 22 – was chosen.

Before this, PKR had changed the nomination date for candidates for central leadership positions to submit their names to August 5, to allow the machinery and leadership to help in the Sungai Kandis by-election in Selangor.

The original nomination date was July 29. It was also deferred when the date clashed with nomination day for candidates contesting in divisions in several states.

A PKR party official told The Malaysian Insight that the voting date had been postponed for eight days because of the Seri Setia by-election in Selangor.

The seat is being defended by PKR.

Polling day for the by-election is on September 8, the same day as Balakong’s polling day.

September 8 was previously set for the PKR annual meeting for 22 divisions in Selangor. It is understood that all divisions must first hold their annual meetings before holding party elections.

“Because the earlier chosen date clashes with the by-elections, we are postponing the meetings to September 15.

“That is why the party’s election committee has had to change the date twice. We don’t have enough manpower,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

Due to the date changes, PKR members in Penang and Kedah will vote on September 22 before the voting closes in Sabah on October 27 and 28.

Sabah PKR gets two days for voting because of logistical issues. The state has the second largest number of members, with about 145,000 people eligible to vote. They make up 18% of PKR’s members who will vote in the party polls.

Selangor PKR, which has the most members, will get three days – October 13, 14, and 21 – to vote.

The voting involving over 800,000 members will be done electronically. Some 300,000 members are new ones who joined PKR after the May 9 general election. – August 28, 2018.