PKR central election committee (CEC) chief Johari Abdul has refused calls to step down despite misconduct in the ongoing party election.

“I’m not sure whether the people last night were party members,” Johari said today when referring to a group protesting against misconduct in the party elections outside the PKR headquarters in Tropicana, Petaling Jaya.

“However there were banners placed that are not what it seemed. Asking the CEC chairperson to resign, that’s normal. People are not happy.”

Johari ( right ), who is the Sungai Petani MP, said that the CEC has identified a pattern to the ‘hooligan-style’ disruptions at the party elections, based on videos.

He said these disruptions targeting the ballot box took place between 2.30pm until just five minutes before polling closed at 5pm, with the aim of forcing a re-election if the favoured candidate of those causing the disruption was losing.

“We will identify and investigate whether this is a criminal act that was planned in advance and we will contact the branches (to identify the culprits).

“(If true), the CEC can invalidate the results or suspend the branches if (the branches) used hooliganism to cause commotion,” Johari said.

Four members sacked, 10 suspended

Two PKR members have been sacked and 10 more have been suspended pending investigations for allegedly disrupting the party’s election process at Selayang and Kota Raja on May 11.

This was tabled by the party’s disciplinary board and approved by its political bureau yesterday.

The two who were sacked are Radin Sharfifuddin Mohamad Yassin from the Selayang branch and Kumara Guru Retnasamy from the Alor Setar branch.

“Radin Sharfifuddin barged into the polling hall and snatched the polling box away during the voting process at the Selanyang branch on May 11...

“(Kumara Guru) took several ballot papers that he had marked himself and stuffed it into the ballot box, although he is not a Kota Raja branch member,” said PKR disciplinary board chairperson Dr Tan Kee Kwong ( right ) in a press statement today.

Another two PKR members were also sacked yesterday, one for publicly criticising the party despite earlier warnings, and another for heckling “liar” and “corrupt” at PKR deputy president candidate Khalid Ibrahim after a press conference at the PKR headquarters on May 1.

They are Zulkafli Abdullah from the Hulu Selangor branch and Ahmad Jufliz from the Setiawangsa branch, respectively.

As for the 10 members who were suspended, they have each been given show-cause letters, and their memberships have been suspended until the investigations are completed.

Another member was given a show-cause letter for allegedly leaking the party political bureau minutes via Twitter on May 14.