GEORGE TOWN: The Bayan Baru PKR division has hardly recovered from revelation of electoral malpractices that marred its polls last month when another bombshell was dropped.
This time it is phantom voters.
Two men, who are not PKR members, claimed to have been phantom voters brought in by the victorious Team Reformis at the divisional polls held at the Silver Jubilee Home, Sungai Nibong, on Sept 25.
The duo – Mohd Faisal Akbar Ali, 24, and K Baskaran, 44 – alleged that they have taken part in the divisional annual general meeting (AGM) and subsequently voted under the order of Team Reformis in the polls.
The duo has each made a statutory declaration under oath today to substantiate their allegations.
A check by FMT on the membership list used in PKR Bayan Baru election substantiated the duo's claim that they were not members.
During last month's polls, both claimed that they have arrived at about 10.30am to observe the electoral process out of curiosity when they saw a large crowd at the Jubilee hall.
About 2.30pm, while they were observing the balloting process, an unidentified person wearing a Team Reformis tag, has asked them whether they have voted or not.
When the duo disclosed they were not even PKR members, the individual told them to wait for a while and left for the registration counter.
Subscription receipt
The person returned and issued to Faisal and Baskaran a paid-up PKR official membership subscription receipt each.
He then told them to go in and vote for Team Reformis, helmed by Pantai Jerejak assemblyman Sim Tze Tzin.
They said they first declined to vote because they were not PKR members.
However, they finally agreed to cast ballots after been convinced by the person that “it was okay to vote even though they were not members”.
They claimed that they were then escorted by the person through the main entrance of the voting hall.
After being inside the hall, the alleged Team Reformis agent took their identity cards and went to the registration counter.
A few minutes later, the person returned to issue each of them the relevant ballot sheets and a flyer listing candidates from Team Reformis.
The person instructed them to vote for all names listed in the flyer.
'Syok syok'
Faisal and Baskaran claimed that they duly obeyed the person's directives and voted for Team Reformis merely for “syok syok” (fun).
When asked why only now they were revealing this, the duo claimed that they felt guilty and worried about their safety after reading so much news on electoral malpractices in Bayan Baru PKR.
“We were worried that what we did would come out in the open and become a threat to us.
“So we swore this staturory declaration to protect us,” said the duo.
They said they were not under any undue pressure or influence from anyone to make the statutory declaration, adding that “it was done on our own accord”.
In the polls, Team Reformis routed Team Rakyat, led by former division vice-chairman M Ngnanasegaran, in the contests for all the principal positions.
However, Sim, who was elected as chairman, and his team were tainted with controversies.
Widespread allegations of serious electoral malpractices emerged instantly after the divisional polls, including cheating, vote rigging, manipulation, disappearance of ballot boxes, and biasness of election duty officials. Now it’s phantom voters.
Team Rakyat supporters have already lodged police reports and filed several complaints to the party election steering committee chairman Molly Cheah.
They want Cheah to nullify the Sept 25 election and conduct fresh polls.
It's learnt that Faisal and Baskaran have video evidence to prove their participation in the AGM and election.
They plan to lodge a complaint to Cheah by this week. A video footage will also be submitted.
When contacted, newly elected division deputy chairman Mohd Rashid Hasnon from Team Reformis expressed surprised by allegations of the phantom menace.
“This is the first time I am hearing that phantom voters have voted in Bayan Baru polls and that too for Team Reformis,” said Rashid, who was in charge of the voter registration exercise during the polls.
He assured the division would probe if the accusers can provide him information.
“We will conduct a probe according to party rules,” said Rashid, who is a volunteer of Malaysians for Free and Fair Election (Mafrel).
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