Vote rigging claims mar internal polls for PM Anwar s party

KUALA LUMPUR - Allegations of vote-rigging have marred what had appeared to be a muted leadership contest in Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR).

Datuk Seri Anwar and his deputy president Rafizi Ramli are set to be returned unopposed at the national-level polls in May, a move that party leaders say is to maintain stability in the lynchpin of his disparate multi-coalition government. But several shocks at divisional-level votes, held from April 11 to 20, have raised claims of irregularities including vote-buying and outright tampering of results.

An emergency leadership council meeting to discuss the polls will be held on April 23 at the request of over a third of council members, PKR secretary-general Fuziah Salleh confirmed on April 20.

This comes after even Natural Resources and Environmental Stability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad lost his Setiawangsa (Kuala Lumpur) division chairmanship on April 19, and other fellow vice-presidents aligned to Economy Minister Rafizi were also defeated at the polls for the ruling party.

“I believe that a fair and transparent election process is the basis of Keadilan’s strength as a reformist party,” said Mr Nazmi in a Facebook post on April 20, adding that an appeal has been filed as there are “issues that must be raised… as part of our commitment” to fair polls conducted with integrity.

Communications director Lee Chean Chung, who is appealing against his loss in Petaling Jaya (Selangor) despite being its MP, told The Straits Times the results were so erratic it “was like World Cup betting”, referring to upsets at football’s top tournament that detractors attribute to match-rigging by bookies. PKR has 31 MPs, with the so-called unity government it leads controlling a two-thirds majority in the 222-strong Parliament.

PKR’s triennial polls elect officer bearers for all 222 divisions around the