KUCHING: Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM) founding president Datuk Larry Sng has announced the suspension of Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin, who has also laid claim to the party presidency, with immediate effect.
Also suspended are 12 supreme council members namely, Haniza Mohamad Taha; Dr Daroyah Binti Alwi; Rahimah Majid; Dr Sathiskumar Govindaraju; Muhammad Saiful Bahari Sahari; Na’im Brundage; Abdul Aziz Abdul Kadir; Zakaria Abdul Rahim; Muniraa Abu Bakar; Datuk Chua Lian Chye; Datuk Roger Tan Seng Huat; and Albakri Salim.
“In accordance with PBM’s constitution Fasal 60 (iii), I have taken the decision to suspend the following individuals from their positions within the supreme council with immediate effect.
“This includes the suspension of Zuraida Kamaruddin as an ordinary member of PBM.
“This is in relation to their ongoing involvement in undermining the interest of the party and its leadership,” he said in a Facebook post.
Sng condemned the political manoeuvring which he said had undermined the trust in his leadership and caused much confusion to party members and the public.
“As such their positions will be suspended until a disciplinary committee is set up to look into the matter after the election,” he said.
He said a Supreme Council Meeting will be called on Oct 30 in Sarikei at 4pm in view of the urgency of this matter, to discuss and settle the issue immediately.
“I shall be exercising the provision under Fasal 21 (ii) of the party constitution to allow the meeting to be held in less than the required seven days’ notice,” he said.
Sgn said those who have been suspended will not be invited to attend the meeting, and letters of suspension have been sent to them individually.
In another separate post on Facebook, Sng explained what is happening in PBM.
“On Oct 1, PBM held its annual general meeting (AGM) whereby in my speech, I thanked the president designate, Datuk Zuraida Kamarudin, for joining PBM and indicated my intention to make her my successor in the party at a ‘suitable time’ in the near future. A motion of thanks was passed unanimously by members of the delegates on this matter,” he said.
“This was reported clearly in my news article which came out in a national paper on Oct 2, 2022,” he said.
Sng, who is also Julau incumbent MP added he had not resigned nor has he been sacked or left to join any other political party, so there was no vacancy in the position of the president.
“Subsequently a notice of supreme council meeting was issued on Oct 5, which was not under my instruction, for a meeting to be held on Oct 7.
“This meeting is not valid because under the party constitution Fasal 21 (I) & (II), power to call for any meeting is by the president and seven days notice must be issued unless waived by the president,” he said.
“The timing of the meeting also coincided with the Budget Speech, whereby all PBM MPs were present in parliament.
“This meeting was chaired by the Deputy President, YB Haniza, and was attended by some Supreme Council members but largely comprised party members who are not recognised as Supreme Council members by the registrar of societies (ROS).
“I understand that their meeting didn’t even meet the required quorum of half of all Supreme Council Members under Fasal 21 (III),” he said.
Since that meeting, he said the secretary-general has issued statements alleging that Datuk Zuraida Kamarudin has been appointed as the new president.
“There is no such provision in the party constitution that allows for the removal of president or any elected Supreme Council Members unless it was done so in the AGM under Fasal 14 (I) & (II), which did not take place.
“It was also decided in that invalid meeting, that the secretary-general is appointed to represent the party in signing the watikah (letter of appointment) for candidates during the general election. This clearly usurps the power of the president, as I have in the past been the sole signatory to sign the watikah for all our candidates in Johor state election,” he said.
Under such circumstances, he said he has taken the necessary steps to suspend the secretary-general and the information chief, followed by the deputy president and those Supreme Council members who have plunged the party into disrepute and cause much uncertainty over the legitimately elected office of the president and acted against the interest of the party delegates.
“The wishes of the party delegates at our Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) in January 2022 in Sibu Sarawak, who have elected the party leadership lineup, must be respected,” said Sng.
