PKR takes action against Chegubard

PETALING JAYA: Badrul Hisham Shahrin, better known as Chegubard, has been suspended from PKR with immediate effect following his recent media outbursts criticising the party’s election process.

PKR disciplinary board chairman Datuk Dr Tan Kee Kwong said Badrul had also been issued a show-cause letter as to why he should not be sacked from the party.

“He has made a press statement claiming the election process is dirty and not transparent.

“He also publicly claimed that the party’s disciplinary board are agents of Azmin Ali on May 12, which was published in several online portals.

“The respondent also made public statements criticising the board in a Malay daily on May 21,” he said in a statement yesterday.

Dr Tan said Chegubard’s membership has been suspended with immediate effect until investigations into the matter are completed.

When contacted, Chegubard said he had not received any letter from the party nor was he informed of the suspension.

“I’m being suspended for talking to the media, which to them is improper. But when the board goes ahead and informs the media about my suspension without notifying me first, it is fine. Where is the consistency?” he asked.

Chegubard, who insisted that he had not done anything wrong except to ask for democracy and transparency in the party’s election, said he would wait for the letter before deciding on his next course of action.

PKR last week sacked its Setiawangsa division chief, lawyer Ahmad Jufliz Faiza, for submitting memorandums to the party leadership calling for a free, fair and transparent party election process.

The party is also in the midst of completing inquiries into 248 official complaints from 70 divisions nationwide.

Election committee chairman Datuk Johari Abdul said that the hearing on the complaints, including allegations of sabotage, was expected to be completed by next week.

He said that the re-elections in the Setiu, Kuala Nerus, Kemaman, Dungun, Jerantut, Paya Besar, Pasir Puteh and Pengerang divisions would take place on Saturday, while re-elections for Tenggara and Sungai Petani would be on Sunday.

A total of 35 divisions were ordered to carry out re-elections.