PETALING JAYA: In what may be a first in Malaysian political party elections, the PKR polls this year will be conducted both online and in-person (hybrid).
“Such elections will likely be the first for any Malaysian political party since the Covid-19 pandemic struck more than two years ago,” said party deputy strategic director R. Ramanan(pix).
“PKR practises a ‘one member one vote’ system, and a total of 1,004,629 members registered before Jan 31 are eligible to vote,” he told theSun.
Ramanan said the list of candidates will be finalised on April 19. “Ample time is given for any appeals. The party election for the 2022-2025 term will be from May 13-18,” he said.
Party members will need to download a smartphone application known as “Adil App” to update their records and register for online voting.
“Through the hybrid system we will be able to manage the crowd at divisions on polling day, balancing the need for the democratic exercise with effort to reduce risks of Covid-19 infections,” he said.
He also reminded all party leaders to display maturity in their campaigning to avoid creating unnecessary tension and emotions.
“There will be party officials tasked to ensure a smooth process in every division on polling day.
“I believe every PKR member is responsible and mature enough to avoid any unwanted incidents.
“Everyone needs to play their part and keep their desired candidates in check,” he said.
There was a ruckus during the PKR elections in 2018 in Penang and Kedah, including during a media conference by the party election committee in Seberang Jaya, due to dissatisfaction among some party members, resulting in members fighting and throwing chairs.
And because of that, the results of the PKR Kedah elections were invalidated.
During the PKR branch elections in Tanjung Karang, Selangor, police detained seven people in connection with a ruckus over allegations of phantom votes.
There was also a “fight” in the Keningau division in Sabah as there was no telephone line or stable internet connection for party polls.
Ramanan said candidates should focus on branding themselves as future leaders by addressing governance issues and getting involved with the grassroots through beneficial programmes.