LATEST: 3 suspended, others cautioned PETALING JAYA: PKR vice-president Jeffery Kitingan today urged party supremo Anwar Ibrahim to stick with a peace plan which was inked last December and not to take any action against 12 Sabah leaders accused of planning a break-away party.
“The party must honour the peace plan, which includes provisions of not going on a witchhunt against any leaders who supported me in the state leadership tussle last year,” he told FMT today just before attending the PKR supreme council meeting this afternoon.
“There must be honour among men. There was a reason for the peace plan and let's stick to it. We must show that we are leaders with principles and honour,” he said.
He also clarified that his statement yesterday that he understood the party had a procedure to follow did not mean he would accept any punishment meted out on his boys.
“While there are party procedures to follow, we must also ensure that details of the peace-plan are not forgotten,” he said.
The supreme council, to be chaired by Anwar, will decide on the next course of action to be taken against the Sabah 12 – labelled Jeffery's dirty dozen – following a recommendation by the party's disciplinary committee to suspend them for 12 months.
The 12 leaders have been subjected to disciplinary proceedings due to their role in setting up Parti Cinta Sabah last year.
The idea of the new party was mooted by some Sabah PKR leaders following a massive fallout between Jeffrey and fellow vice-president Azmin, which resulted in Jeffrey being replaced as the state chief.
However, under a peace plan inked on Dec 13 here, Jeffrey was made responsible for both Sabah and Sarawak and another person was put in charge of the state. Azmin was totally removed from the state lineup.
The peace deal also ensured that there will be no witchhunt against those who had allegedly plotted against the party at that time by aligning themselves with Jeffrey.
The suspension of the 12 would result in them playing no part in the coming party polls. Their backers have seen this development as an elaborate plan hatched by Azmin and his Sabah loyalists to cut off rivals from the party.
Jeffery: No compromise
Yesterday Anwar, during a visit to Sabah, said that disciplinary process must take place against the 12 as the party had little choice but to follow procedure and take action.
"Usually the party leadership will just endorse the recommendation ... I hope the 12 will accept with open heart. This is a normal process. I request my colleagues not to complicate this matter," Anwar said late yesterday.
"Let us give the 12 a chance. They can still appeal. I personally know some of them and I know their commitment is very strong. But we have to go through this process," he added.
Jeffery today urged Anwar to make a decision that will not put the party under further turmoil, especially with party polls forthcoming.
“I am not compromising on this matter. We had a peace deal and we must make sure it is kept. The party cannot now decide to take action against the 12 by going against the peace deal,” he said.
Supporters of the 12 have also expressed disappointment with Anwar for claiming that the party took action against the 12 following the discovery of new evidence on the formation of Parti Cinta Sabah.
“This is a lie. Anwar knew about the application for the new party last December. He was aware of that when he agreed for the peace deal.
“We can only surmise that the action against the 12 is being taken to curtail the influence of Jeffrey and his supporters in Sabah so that their rivals can will party polls,” they said.
Popular blogger: What due process?
Meanwhile, in another development, popular blogger Haris Ibrahim said Anwar seemed to have decided on the guilt of the 12 by talking about them utilising the appeal process even before affirming the recommendation made by the disciplinary committee
“Party leadership meets today to decide whether to endorse the recommendation to suspend.
“However, given that Anwar’s already urging the 12 to utilise the process of appeal allowed for in the party constitution, does this suggest that the fate of the 12 has already been decided even before the party leadership meets today?” asked Haris in his latest blog posting.
He went on to question if this was the due process in PKR.
“If so, Anwar has no moral basis to complain about the treatment that is being meted out to him in our courts,” he added.
Haris also questioned Anwar's remarks yesterday that “usually the party leadership will just endorse the recommendation (of the disciplinary committee)”.
The lawyer-cum-blogger asked why wasn't this followed in the case of Zulkifli Noordin over his actions in disrupting the Bar Council forum in August 2008, and statements he made thereafter.
“The PKR disciplinary committee, headed by Deputy President Syed Husin Ali, it seems, had recommended that Zul be suspended from the party.
“Anwar, my source tells me, had decided not to give effect to that recommendation but to ‘deal with Zul,” he added.
LATEST UPDATE AS AT 9.30PM:
Three suspended, others cautioned
FMT learnt that the PKR supreme council – after a meeting which lasted more than four hours - has decided to impose a 12-month suspension to only three of the Sabah 12. The rest will be let off with a warning.
The three to face suspension are Daniel John Jambun, Awang Ahmad Sah and Moses @ Mozes Michael Iking. Their suspension is backdated to Jan 6, 2010.
These three were named as the pro-tem president, deputy and secretary-general respectively in the application for the breakaway party. They have been allowed to appeal against the decision immediately.
Interestingly, earlier today, the three had submitted nomination papers to be elected divisional heads or "Ketua Cabang" in the party triennial elections September 18 and 19.
The party has yet to make any official confirmation of the supreme council's decision on the 12.
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