Bersatu form with Zuraida's name - it's fake, say Bersatu and PKR officials

A Bersatu membership form bearing PKR vice-president Zuraida Kamaruddin's name circulated on social media has set tongues wagging but Bersatu and PKR officials whom Malaysiakini spoke to have branded the image as fake.

The form purportedly showed Zuraida's application to join Bersatu's Ampang division but Khairulnoor Khairuddin, who leads that division, said it is untrue.

"I have checked with the headquarters and found it to be false. The signature is fake and the form is without a copy of identity card.

"There is someone trying to pit PKR president Anwar Ibrahim against Zuraida," he told Malaysiakini.

The circulation of the form comes amid strained relations between Zuraida and Anwar.

Zuraida, who is also the housing and local government minister, had last month made a scathing speech against Anwar at an event at the Renaissance Hotel in Kuala Lumpur.

She had since been slapped with a show-cause letter.

This is not the first time rumours were spread on social media claiming Zuraida would join Bersatu. She had consistently denied such speculations.

In the latest incident, the form was accompanied by a letter accusing Anwar of failing to unite PKR despite concerns raised by her and PKR deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali.

The letter then purportedly showed Zuraida pledging support to Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who is also the Bersatu chairperson.

However, Zuraida's political secretary Hizwan Ahmad said all the circulated documents were fake.

"The viral claim is a false, malicious and amateurish work of certain quarters to take advantage of the current political situation in the party.

"Zuraida remains a PKR vice-president and is focused on her responsibility and duties as a member of the party and the Ampang PKR chief," he said.

Meanwhile, Wanita PKR information chief Syarul Ema Rena Abu Samah, who is part of Zuraida's inner circle, said the PKR vice-president had indicated that she intends to stay put in the party.

"I just met her yesterday. She said she will try to hold on. She has no plan to join another party and no back-up plan if she is sacked," she told Malaysiakini.

Syarul (above) said she can recognise Zuraida's signature and was certain that it was poorly forged.

"It's fake. That's not even her signature," she said.

Zuraida had since said she will respond to the show-cause letter against her.

"I will respond to the issues raised but at the moment I can't say what those issues are.

"What is important is that all that I said at Renaissance is the truth," she said. - Mkini