PKR drops 28, including elected leaders, for double dipping in parties, says sec-gen

Malay Mail

11-05-2025

KUALA LUMPUR, May 11 — PKR has expelled 28 members, including elected leaders, for holding membership in other political parties, according to its secretary-general Fuziah Salleh.
She told Free Malaysia Today (FMT) that the move follows the first round of branch-level election nominations, after which the party's central leadership council reviewed the status of 36 members flagged for dual party membership.
'Of the 36, 11 appealed and were reinstated after presenting evidence of their commitment to PKR, including letters of support and records of grassroots activity,' Fuziah reportedly said.
Additional expulsions followed the conclusion of division-level elections. Three leaders — the division chiefs of Jempol and Pasir Salak, as well as the Besut Wanita PKR chief — were sacked after complaints against them were verified.
In Jempol, the party acted only after carrying out what Fuziah described as 'due diligence', even though the individual had won the divisional post. A re-election has since been held.
Fuziah emphasised that confirming dual membership is not always straightforward, especially when documentation is lacking or timelines are unclear.
'We often receive complaints of dual or even triple membership. The first thing I always do is establish which party they last joined. If it's not PKR, then there are grounds for disciplinary action,' she added.
However, she stressed that not all former members of other parties face punishment.
'We do not act against members who had joined Umno in the past but later aligned themselves with PKR,' she said to FMT, citing examples from the 1998 Reformasi movement.
'Many followed president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim after he was sacked from Umno. Some never formally left Umno but eventually joined PKR. In those cases, it's clear where their loyalty lies.'
Fuziah acknowledged the difficulties in verifying party affiliations, especially when access to other parties' databases is restricted.
'In some parties, we can check. Others, we can't. That's why we look for other indicators — like whether the individual holds a position or is seen actively contesting under another party's banner,' she explained.
She added that allegations without solid evidence are not enough to warrant action.
'For instance, if someone just appears in a photo with a Bersatu leader, that's not conclusive evidence,' she said.