Response to Article in Malaysiakini

Dear Editor

I write to state that the impression created in your article that there was jeering and heckling disruption during the Subang Division annual general meeting division meeting is not accurate.  The suggestion that this led to the postponement of the Subang election of division leaders is also not correct.

The AGM had problems in the way the voting by show of hands for nominations for national leaders was handled. But, apart from that, proceeded and was completed.

What was NOT completed was the Subang Division leaders election which is a separate process from the AGM altogether. This could not take place because of defective ballot papers which were rectified late. As a result, the senior election official present En Sabaruddin had no option but to declare a postponement of the election at about 230 pm.

Then I and many other candidates and members left the venue.

Regretably a group of members including a few candidates then used threats of confinement and violence on the election officials and forced them to proceed with balloting. The election officials have lodged reports with the police and the party. I understand that the PKR National Election Committee will decide on the issue next week after receiving all reports.

I hope that this correction can be made to prevent continuing confusion

Yours sincerely

R Sivarasa

I also enclose the following Bahasa version:

Saya menulis untuk membetulkan kandongan di dalam rencana ini yang memberikan gambaran bahawa di dalam Mesyuarat Agung PKR Subang berlaku |”tengkar dan gaduh” dan mesyuarat “tidak dapat diteruskan”. Ini tidak tepat. Walaupun proces pengundian untuk pencalunan dan perwakilan dalam mesyuarat memang tidak dapat dikawal dengan baik, selain daripada itu, mesyuarat berjalan lancar sehingga habis.

Yang tidak dapat diteruskan adalah pemilihan pimpinan cabang yang merupakan proces yang berasingan. Penangguhan pemilihan yang berlaku disebabkan kertas undi yang catat dan kelewatan membetulkannya. Ini mengakibatkan pemilihan sehaja ( dan bukan Mesyuarat Agung ) diumumkan ditangguh oleh En Sabaruddin, seorang ahli Jawatankuasa Pemilihan Pusat yang hadir pada jam 230 petang.  Seterusnya saya dan ramai lagi calon dan anggota telah meninggalkan tempat itu.

Malangnya, selepas itu, ada segolongan calun dan anggota menggunakan ugutan kekerasan dan memaksa pengawas pemilihan untuk meneruskan dengan pengundian.  Isu itu telah dilaporkan oleh pengawas kepada pihak polis dan Parti.  Kami difahamkan Jawatankuasa Pemilihan Pusat akan membuat satu keputusan pada minggu hadapan selepas mendapat semua lapuran.

R. Sivarasa, Calun Ketua Cabang dan juga Naib Presiden.

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

Press Statement from YB R. Sivarasa

Press Statement

By R Sivarasa – Vice President Parti Keadilan Rakyat and candidate for Division Chief of Subang

28^th September 2010.

The Star’s inaccurate reporting yesterday 27 September and today 28 September of the PKR Subang Division’s 2010 AGM and Election

I am constrained to issue this statement to correct completely inaccurate statements published in the STAR yesterday and today on the PKR Subang Division’s 2010 AGM and Elections as published in The Star on 27^th and 28^th editions.

Yesterday 27^th September, The Star wrongly reported ( page N8 ) that meeting for the PKR Subang Division was called-off on technical grounds when in fact the Annual General Meeting started about 11am as scheduled and completed.

It was also reported as follows “Vice President contender R Sivarasa also failed to secure the Subang Division Chief post” giving the false impression that a valid election had in fact happened. This is not true.

As a result of technical errors in the ballots papers resulting in substantial delay in arrival of fresh ballot papers only after 1 pm, an objection was made by me and 3 other Division Chief candidates and a request for postponement of the elections made as many members had arrived early but had left without voting.

Sdr Sabaruddin a member of the party’s National Elections Committee arrived and after considering the situation made and announced the decision to postpone the elections to a date to be fixed to the 4 candidates and one candidate’s representative for the Division Chief post present in front of him.

After that announcement at about 230 pm, I and many of the other candidates and many members left the venue.

Subsequently, a group of persons including some candidates intimidated and threatened the election officials present that they would be confined there and damage done to the venue if voting did not proceed. I understand that at some point, in order to prevent physical violence and under duress, the officials allowed voting to proceed.

Election official Puan Zariny Zainol subsequently lodged a police report to that effect at the Kota Damansara Police Station yesterday.

It is in that context that my statement that the election was null and void was made which was quoted in The Star yesterday. However regrettably the article does not mention the facts regarding the voting done under duress and the police report done by the election official which must have been known to The Star which would have my comment immediately understandable to any reader.

Today 28.9.10 at page N14, The Star has made further false and inaccurate statements regarding Subang. First it reports as follows “Sivarasa and four other contenders walked out in protest claiming that there were missing candidate names in the ballot papers”. As would be obvious from the facts stated above, this is not true. We left the premises, as was proper, only after the announcement by En Sabaruddin that the election was postponed.

Second, it reports falsely that “Sivarasa lodged a police report.” This again is wrong as I did not lodge any police report.

I understand that in the light of the fact that some voting did take place as a result of the election officials being forced to conduct it, the party’s National Election Committee will at some point make a ruling on the matter of the Subang election.

I urge The Star to publish this statement in full so that readers are able to get a balanced view of the facts.

R Sivarasa

Vice-President Parti Keadilan Rakyat.

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