KUCHING, May 6: PKR National Women vice-chief Voon Shiak Ni today announced her resignation from the party after losing faith in the party’s leadership.
“In light of the negativity which is plaguing the party now, I announce my resignation from PKR (Parti Keadilan Rakyat) with effect from today, relinguishing all my national and state posts in the party.
“I will continue to serve as a social activist for the community in my capacity as a legal practioner,” she revealed in a statement issued today.
Voon however emphasised that this would not rule out the possibility of her joining or setting up a new local political party to serve Sarawak together with other comrades who had left the party.
Bitterly disappointed with the changes going on in the party, she opined the ongoing exercise of sacking party leaders especially from PKR Sarawak will further weaken its political platform.
“Things have changed beyond comprehension of any right minds for the past couple of years and the sacking of good land rights activist lawyers like See Chee How and Baru Bian is not helping the party to keep up the positive public confidence in PKR Sarawak which has been nurtured.
“The mass sacking and suspension of members during this few weeks of MCO (Movement Control Order) has defeated and breached all sense of social justice and principles of democracy which I thought was the main thrust of the party’s principles, which is the very reason I joined the party 12 years ago,” she added.
Voon shared that as a social activist before joining PKR, she had participated in the calls against illegal logging in Sarawak and also in numerous campaigns to highlight the plight of women and girls with one of the most important being the campaign against the systematic rape and abuse of Penan girls and women in middle Baram about 13 years ago.
“I joined the PKR as my political platform because it was deemed to be carrying the flame of justice and reformation for the people of Malaysia.
“PKR is my first political party and for the last 10 years, no doubt PKR Sarawak has earned merits of people’s trust and confidence under the good leadership of their many selfless credible leaders and also the tireless commitment of their PKR land and civil rights lawyers fighting for the rights and plight for victims of the oppressed and aggrieved. But things have changed,” she added.
Before her resignation, Voon was also PKR Sarawak vice-chairwoman as well as PKR Stampin Women chief and vice-chairwoman.
Meanwhile, following the downfall of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government, many PKR leaders and members have either been sacked or left the party on their own accord.
In Sarawak, Batu Lintang assemblyman See Chee How, Selangau MP and former Works Minister Baru Bian, as well as Betong PKR chief Vernon Kedit were among party members who had been sacked.
It was reported that the party has embarked on a nationwide initiative to rid itself of members who it says contributed to the fall of the PH government in February. — DayakDaily
