PETALING JAYA: The one-week deadline is up and 13 suspended members of Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM) have not replied to their show cause letters.
Today, the 13 – led by former Plantation Industries and Commodities minister Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin – face disciplinary action, which includes expulsion.
Party president Datuk Larry Sng said the suspended 13 were issued show cause letters last Monday and were given one week to reply.
“As of yesterday, none of them has done so, although some have acknowledged receiving it.
“Dec 26 is the deadline for reply. Today, the disciplinary committee will discuss and make a statement on the matter,” said Sng.
Sng said the committee reserved the right to take action against the members, including the possibility of expulsion.
Sng said 15 members had been initially suspended but two of them were reinstated and had their suspensions lifted on Dec 17.
Sng and Zuraida have been locked in battle since October over who is the rightful president of the party.
Sng had been the president since January last year but the entry of Zuraida brought talk that Sng had allowed the former PKR women’s chief and Bersatu supreme council member to take over.
Sng maintained that he was still the president, although a faction within the party said it was decided in the party congress in October that Zuraida would be the leader.
“There was no resignation on my part nor was there any decision to remove me during the AGM.
“So my position in the party remains.
“However, Zuraida and those aligned with her have caused confusion and acted against the interests of the party and its members.
“Because of this, their membership and positions have been suspended,” said Sng.
The suspended supreme council members include deputy president Haniza Mohamad Talha, vice-presidents Rahimah Majid, Sathiskumar Govindaraju and Muhammad Saiful Bahari Sahari; Youth chief Na’im Brundage and women’s chief Dr Daroyah Alwi.
Haniza had said yesterday that the Registrar of Societies (ROS) should investigate Sng’s legitimacy to lead PBM as president.
She said Zuraida was the rightful president, as decided during the general assembly in October.
The Lembah Jaya assemblyman claimed that after GE15, Sng had unilaterally decided to cooperate with the unity government without any discussions with party members.
“He also ‘sulked’ when his name was not listed in the Cabinet line-up,” she said.
“He is only acting for his personal gain.”
