My Response to Free Malaysia Today's article

RESPONSE

By R Sivarasa

28^th September 2010

Dear Editor,

I refer to your  article ' Stop the lies', PKR chief tells Subang members which was published on 28^th September 2010.

This article is full of damaging and misleading inaccuracies.

1)      Your report quotes a newly elected deputy division chief V. Sivam giving the false impression that a valid election had in fact happened.  This is not true. No valid election took place.

2)      The statement “Siva only managed to get five votes compared to Najmi’s 151” is incorrect. At 2.30pm on that day, Sdr Sabaruddin Md Yasin from PKR National Elections Committee (JPP) announced that – due to technical errors in the ballot papers – the elections were to be postponed to a later date. As such, no valid election took place, and any results arising were null and void.

3)      Whatever votes cast were done so illegally in an atmosphere of intimidation and duress. Supporters of one of the contesting factions forced election officers to continue in spite of the original decision. They told election officials present that they would be confined within the premises and damage done to the venue if voting did not proceed. As such, in order to prevent physical violence and under duress, the officials allowed voting to proceed. Even so, as pointed out in the above, no valid election took place.

4)      In response to “They claimed that returning officer Zariny had lodged a police report...”  we can confirm that Pn Zariny Zainol did indeed lodge a police report (Ref No KOTA DAMANSARA/007695/10, dated 26/9/2010).

PKR National Election Committee will meet to discuss their findings on the postponed elections for the Subang Division, and the results of their findings are expected to be announced on Monday, 4^th October 2010.

I hope that following my statement, Free Malaysia Today will seek clarification from the PKR National Election Committee in order to give an accurate and factual report to your readers.

I request that this response be printed in its entirety, in order that your readers will have a clear picture of what  transpired on the 26^th September at the PKR Subang Division AGM and Divisional Elections.

Sivarasa Rasiah

Vice President, Parti Keadilan Rakyat, candidate for Subang Division Chief