This article first appeared in The Edge Malaysia Weekly on October 29, 2018 - November 4, 2018

EVERYBODY loves a winner. Parti Keadilan Rakyat saw its membership jump by almost 300,000 people in the 1½ months post-May 9, Malaysiakini quoted party secretary-general Datuk Saifuddin Nasution Ismail as saying. We know what happened on May 9.

As such, said Saifuddin, the “sharp spikes here and there are something we should look at as a whole”. He is right. Although he did not say it specifically, but I view his remarks as a response to complaints of “irregularities” in the party electoral roll, which some say has “sharp spikes here and there”.

Along with the complaints came the problem of who can and cannot vote in the ongoing PKR election. Aggravating matters are the technical glitches in the e-voting system — something the election secretariat is still working to make right. Nonetheless, the unhappiness and dissatisfaction thus far has led to several clashes during voting that required police intervention. I’m talking fist fights and flying chairs.

Now we are hearing allegations of phantom voters. Seriously? Pengundi hantu? The very same thing PKR had accused BN of using to win general elections?

We have former Rawang assemblyman Gan Pei Nei lodging a report urging the police to identify people responsible for “bussing in dozens of non-Selayang voters”.

Not phantom voters per se, apparently. According to Gan, her team found that the voters were “party members from Sabah” or, rather, “names found in records for PKR divisions in Sabah”. Incidentally, Gan who was vying for the position of Selayang PKR chief, failed to unseat William Leong, the MP for Selayang.

And what about the more serious allegations by party council member Elizabeth Wong? She has submitted “proof” to Defence Minister Mohamad Sabu and Saifuddin that three people believed to be armed forces personnel “had voted in the PJ Utara PKR polls”. Also, 32 people had registered using armed forces addresses, she said.

Under their terms of service, members of the armed forces are prohibited from taking part in active politics. Violation of the rules may result in the personnel being discharged. The Ministry of Defence is probing the allegations made by Wong.

Deputy-president hopeful Rafizi Ramli has spoken of the party being “tested” by the lure of money as “when we become the government, many quarters will be interested in the party of the government”.

He said money was used in the PKR polls and it was prevalent in six states and added that  money politics “is worrying”.

At the moment, these are mere allegations. But the party is investigating the matter, according to outgoing president Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Ismail. Incoming president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim says Rafizi’s allegations have been referred to the party’s disciplinary committee.

Rafizi’s remarks, as well as  those of Saifuddin, are to coin a word, “testimoney”, that everybody loves a winner. PKR won big in GE14 and now it is attracting all sorts of things, including negative elements.

I’ve said it before in a previous article and I’ll say it again now. The PKR election is a mess.

Granted, it is by far the biggest party elections in the country with some 800,000 members voting directly and electronically. “Everyone is getting used to voting electronically,” say party leaders.

Still, as far as the election mess is concerned, I need to ask if it is a case of the out-going president and the incoming president not being able to do much to arrest the situation?

After all, Wan Azizah is leaving the presidency and the clock is ticking. What more with her duties as deputy prime minister and Minister of Women, Family and Community Development to attend to? And Anwar is, well, president in waiting.

These have nothing to do with the problems, according to PKR youth leader Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad. To him, the party polls committee “must be more strict, firm and efficient” in managing the election.

As PKR is the largest party in government, says Nik Nazmi, more is at stake and rivalry is more intense but “candidates should refrain from using unprofessional tactics”.

Still, the big challenge, as many would agree, is that after the election, the winners and defeated must close ranks. No easy feat considering the bitterness and intense rivalry.

That, as I said in my previous article, is something Anwar will have to ensure.

And PKR needs to show that it loves not only winners but the vanquished as well. 
 

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