KUALA LUMPUR: PKR has filed lawsuits against several of its former members for allegedly breaching a party bond by defecting during the Sheraton Move in February 2020, which led to the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan government.
Datuk Dr Fuziah Salleh, suing in her capacity as party secretary-general and on behalf of PKR, named former party colleagues Baru Bian, Datuk Kamarudin Jaffar, Datuk Mansor Othman, Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon, Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah and Datuk R. Santhara Kumar as the first to sixth defendants.
The suit was filed through Messrs Nav & Co on Feb 19.
PKR also filed a separate lawsuit on Feb 27 against Abdul Yunus Jamhari, Datuk Azman Nasrudin, Dr Afif Bahardin, Dr Chong Fat Full, Dr Daroyah Alwi, Haniza Mohd Talha, Muhammad Hilman Idham, Muhammad Jailani Khamis, Robert Ling Kui Ee and Zulkifli Ibrahim.
According to lawyer Navpreet Singh, who is acting for the party, cases have been fixed for case management on March 17 and 27.
In its statement of claim, PKR alleged that each defendant contested in the 14th General Election under the party’s banner and had executed a bond prior to nomination as a condition set by the party.
However, on various dates after being elected, it became public knowledge that several defendants had ceased to be party members.
“Each of the defendants thereafter aligned themselves with or supported a political coalition other than the party,” the statement said.
PKR said this resulted in the governing coalition at the federal level losing its majority in the Dewan Rakyat, after which a new coalition government was formed.
The party said it subsequently terminated the membership of each defendant and issued notices of termination.
“Each of the defendants is in breach of the bond, and the obligation to pay the sum of RM10mil under the bond was thereby triggered,” it said.
PKR is also seeking interest, costs and other relief deemed appropriate by the court.
