PBB recruits 'dead' members, report lodged
Tony ThienPublished: Mar 7, 2006 8:42 AM | Updated: Jan 29, 2008 10:21 AM
A police report has been lodged against Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud's Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) for allegedly conducting an illegal membership drive and issuing a membership card to a deceased individual.
A police report has been lodged against Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud's Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) for allegedly conducting an illegal membership drive and issuing a membership card to a deceased individual.
The report - a copy of which was made available to malaysiakini today - was lodged by opposition Sarawak National Party's (Snap) Kedup division Youth chief Barnabas Ngadin.
In his report lodged with the Serian police station on Feb 20, Barnabas claimed that PBB - a Barisan Nasional component party - was conducting the membership drive in the Kedup state constituency.
He claimed that on Feb 19, his family and him were told to go and collect their PBB membership cards from their Kampung Pridan village chief with a payment of RM 1 for each card.
According to him, 210 membership cards were issued, including to his late father Ladin Jatin, who passed away six months ago.
Barnabas said in his report that neither him nor his family had signed any forms to join PBB or to receive the cards.
He said they were unhappy with the party for making use of their personal particulars, which he believed were obtained from the electoral roll, without their permission.
Cards withdrawn
The Snap Youth leader had also written to state secretary Abdul Aziz Hussain for clarification on the status of the Kampung Pridan and neighbouring Kampung Diang and Kampung Baing village chiefs who received the PBB membership cards from Kedup state assemblyperson Frederick Bayoi and a district officer.
Barnabas, who had since also lodged a report with the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA), demanded to know if the village chiefs were PBB agents.
He told malaysiakini that a similar tactic had been used in other PBB Bidayuh constituencies, including Tebedu, where Snap members have also lodged a police report.
Commenting on the issue, Snap deputy president Justine Jinggut said: "PBB is facing a lot of internal problems, particularly with having to regularise party branches in many areas ahead of the party elections."
"This PBB problem is no longer a secret," he said, adding that "one can assume they want to recruit new members afresh as quickly as possible ahead of the party elections which may be held in May and the easiest way to do it is to go through the electoral roll and pick out names of voters."
Barnabas said through the electoral rolls it cannot be established who supported who. "Unfortunately for them, my family and I happen to be loyal Snap members."
Snap has more than 230 members in Kampung Priban, which has a population of 800.
Barnabas said he learnt that PBB withdrew the membership cards (issued without photoraphs) from the village chiefs following the police reports.
PIX: Barnabas,centre, Snap Kedup divisional chairperson Dr Razali Bolhi and deputy head Sylvester Belayong, holding the police report and letter to the state secretary.
The report - a copy of which was made available to malaysiakini today - was lodged by opposition Sarawak National Party's (Snap) Kedup division Youth chief Barnabas Ngadin.
In his report lodged with the Serian police station on Feb 20, Barnabas claimed that PBB - a Barisan Nasional component party - was conducting the membership drive in the Kedup state constituency. He claimed that on Feb 19, his family and him were told to go and collect their PBB membership cards from their Kampung Pridan village chief with a payment of RM 1 for each card.
According to him, 210 membership cards were issued, including to his late father Ladin Jatin, who passed away six months ago.
Barnabas said in his report that neither him nor his family had signed any forms to join PBB or to receive the cards.
He said they were unhappy with the party for making use of their personal particulars, which he believed were obtained from the electoral roll, without their permission.
Cards withdrawn
The Snap Youth leader had also written to state secretary Abdul Aziz Hussain for clarification on the status of the Kampung Pridan and neighbouring Kampung Diang and Kampung Baing village chiefs who received the PBB membership cards from Kedup state assemblyperson Frederick Bayoi and a district officer.
Barnabas, who had since also lodged a report with the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA), demanded to know if the village chiefs were PBB agents.
He told malaysiakini that a similar tactic had been used in other PBB Bidayuh constituencies, including Tebedu, where Snap members have also lodged a police report.
Commenting on the issue, Snap deputy president Justine Jinggut said: "PBB is facing a lot of internal problems, particularly with having to regularise party branches in many areas ahead of the party elections."
"This PBB problem is no longer a secret," he said, adding that "one can assume they want to recruit new members afresh as quickly as possible ahead of the party elections which may be held in May and the easiest way to do it is to go through the electoral roll and pick out names of voters."
Barnabas said through the electoral rolls it cannot be established who supported who. "Unfortunately for them, my family and I happen to be loyal Snap members."
Snap has more than 230 members in Kampung Priban, which has a population of 800. Barnabas said he learnt that PBB withdrew the membership cards (issued without photoraphs) from the village chiefs following the police reports.
PIX: Barnabas,centre, Snap Kedup divisional chairperson Dr Razali Bolhi and deputy head Sylvester Belayong, holding the police report and letter to the state secretary.
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