By Lian Cheng
KUCHING, Nov 2: Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM) president Datuk Larry Sng has signed the watikah (candidate appointment letter) for party president designate Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin to be fielded as a candidate in the 15th General Election (GE15).
Apart from Zuraida, Sng said he also signed watikah for other PBM candidates in West Malaysia.
For Sarawak, he said, for the time being, the party will defend Julau, where he is the incumbent and there is possibility one more candidate may be fielded.
“Tentatively only one. There might be a possibility of a second one but only one for now is confirmed. For other areas, mainly are in West Malaysia,” said Sng when asked how many seats will PBM be contesting in Sarawak and West Malaysia respectively.
Sng refused to disclose more, only that he will announce PBM’s full candidate list tomorrow afternoon.
On the apparent internal party dispute, he said he and Zuraida had come to an understanding where apart from matters relating to GE15, other party matters will be dealt with only after GE15.
“Yes, we have come to an understanding. The arrangement is to work together for this election, and push party matters to a later date.
“She recognises me as the president, no question about that. Her watikah was signed by me as well.
“As far as we are concerned, there is no dispute as what is recognised by the authorities,” said Sng when asked to comment on the apparent recent mutiny to remove him as party president.
With this, it appears that the party is closing ranks to face GE15.
After Zuraida joined PBM, Sng agreed to hand over his presidency to the former at a suitable time.
However, on Oct 5—without his permission, according to Sng—a notice for a supreme council meeting was issued, to be convened on Oct 7, the day caretaker Prime Minister Dato Sri Ismail Sabri Yaakob tabled Budget 2023.
Sng claimed that the meeting was invalid as the party constitution requires a seven-day notice for a supreme council meeting and that it should be called by the president.
The subsequent meeting was attended by some supreme council members but largely comprised by party members, he said, claiming that under such circumstance, the meeting did not meet the quorum.
Following the meeting which he described as “invalid”, a statement was issued alleging that Zuraida was the new president.
The “invalid” meeting also decided then that the secretary-general of the party would sign the watikah.
Sng responded by suspending the party’s secretary-general and information chief, before suspending the membership of Zuraida and 12 other supreme council members. — DayakDaily
