GEORGE TOWN: Following the outcry of electoral malpractises in last week’s PKR Bayan Baru polls, neighbouring Bukit Gelugor members now fear the worst awaits them in their divisional polls on Oct 3.
The supporters of challenger Lim Boo Chang are worried that they would be troubled by a similar adversity that marred the hotly contested Bayan Baru divisional election.
Lawyer Lim takes on incumbent S Raveentharan, also a lawyer and Batu Uban assemblyman, in a mouth-watering clash to grab the Bukit Gelugor division chairman post.
All other major positions are also up for grabs in the Raveentharan-Lim fight to seize divisional control.
Until last week, Lim’s supporters were confident that their team tagged “Team Progressive”, could triumph in a clean, fair and free electoral process.
However, the ghost of Bayan Baru has begun to haunt them over the last few days.
They are now preparing themselves to negotiate the prospect of their divisional polls being marred by malpractices.
“We are determined not to allow a ‘Bayan Baru’ in our divisional polls,” said a strategist from Lim’s camp.
Lim’s camp fear is not unfounded.
Bayan Baru victors, “Team Reformis”, headed by Pantai Jerejak assemblyman Sim Tze Tzin, are closely linked with Raveentharan’s camp.
Top-level influence
“Team Rakyat”, headed by defeated candidate M Ngnanasegaran, has accused Sim’s camp of committed various electoral malpractices.
Among the allegations were vote-rigging, cheating and biasness of the election coordinating team.
Being the party deputy secretary-general, Raveentharan understandably has close links with top leaders.
He has demonstrated his top-level influence when he got through his men to contest the polls even though they all allegedly filed their candidature papers after the nomination process was closed at 4pm on Sept 4.
During a Hari Raya open house organised by Deputy Chief Minister I Mansor Othman in Penanti on Sept 19, PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim has apparently joked to Lim that “it seems you are going to win unopposed”.
Lim’s premature joy was short-lived, though.
A few days later, the top leadership confirmed that Raveentharan and his team of late comers have been cleared to contest.
In other contests, Raveentharan's ally Johan Johari, the division current secretary, will take on Roslan Ramansah for the deputy chairman post, while for the vice-chairman, Cheah Peng Guan will face current divisional permanent chairman K Asokan from Lim’s camp.
For the Youth chief post, Raveentharan team pitted Muhammed Annaruddin Akbar Ali against Shahul Hamid Abdul Kader and fielded Jurinah Hassan against Chew Hong Wah for the women's wing chief position.
Lim not impressed
Sensing Raveentharan’s strong top-level influence, Lim has written a letter to party election steering committee chairman Dr Molly Cheah today seeking to ensure that “the Bukit Gelugor polls would be clear, fair and transparent” unlike Bayan Baru.
Among Lim’s requests were that the election coordinating team should consist of sufficient members to run the polls.
If the election duty officers included volunteers recommended by Raveentharan, Lim, the current divisional deputy chairman, also wants his recommended volunteers to be in.
Lim wants his team of observers to be allowed in the hall all the time, from the time the first vote was cast until the last vote was counted.
He also opposes any attempt by anyone to lock the voting hall.
Lim wants 1,790 ballot papers to be brought for voting, the exact number of divisional members, to prevent use of photocopied ballot papers.
He also wants all relevant ballot sheets to be stapled together as a set to be given out to each voting member.
However, it is learnt that Lim was neither impressed or self-assured after he had called Cheah pertaining to the matter yesterday.
All the pre-election happenings have geared up Lim’s supporters to be prepared for an intense polling day. Bukit Gelugor divisional election is set for a fiery finale.
No comments:
Post a Comment