WHAT ‘FAIRNESS’ IS ZURAIDA YAPPING ABOUT? IS IT FAIR TO VOTERS FOR PKR NOT TO ACT AGAINST ERRANT LEADERS WHEN IT KNOWS – AND DIRECT FROM THE MACC’S OWN LETTER – THAT GROUNDS HAVE BEEN FOUND TO RECOMMEND DISCIPLINARY ACTION AGAINST DUO SUSPECTED OF GRAFT? IS IT ALSO ‘FAIR’ TO PKR & ITS MEMBERS WHEN LEADERS LIKE ZURAIDA & HER MENTOR AZMIN REFUSE TO ATTEND MEETINGS & CONTINUOUSLY UNDERMINE THEIR OWN PARTY IN FAVOR OF OTHERS?

PKR vice-president Zuraida Kamaruddin has charged a party official with missing the point in her defence of a sacked party member.

She said she had pointed out that the party had not followed procedure when it booted Zakaria Abd Hamid.

“The issue I raised was clear and simple –  the sacking did not follow procedure. Whether I attended the meetings is not relevant to the discussion,” she said.

She added that her non-attendance of meetings had no bearing on the fact that party members should receive fair treatment.

Earlier today, PKR communications director Fahmi Fadzil said Zuraida would have understood why Zakaria was sacked if she had attended the party meetings.

Fahmi was responding to Zuraida’s statement slamming the party for being “selective” in sacking Zakaria Abd Hamid, who was the political secretary of Sarawak PKR chief Baru Bian.

Zakaria, who was also the Bera division chief, and another member were dismissed yesterday over suspicions of corruption and bribery in last year’s PKR polls

“She mentioned ‘selective justice’. I think if she had attended the weekly political bureau meetings and yesterday’s central leadership council meeting, (she would have understood that) the full information provided to us was clear enough for the action to be taken,” Fahmi told reporters earlier today.

Fahmi had urged Zuraida and other party leaders to attend the meetings to discuss matters instead of taking their grouses to the press.

Yesterday PKR disciplinary board chairman Ahmad Kassim said the party was sacking two party on the advice of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) on October 23.

Fahmi said MACC had furnished the party with a full report, which had necessitated disciplinary action on the part of PKR.

Zakaria yesterday said PKR leaders had sacked him without giving him the opportunity to defend himself.

Fahmi said Zakaria could appeal the decision.

“The party constitution allows any member who has been sacked to appeal to the president to be allowed to return as a member,” Fahmi said.

THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT