PKR sec-gen: Let’s have a clean campaign

ARCHIVES 2010

By admin-s On Sep 11, 2010

(FMT) GEORGE TOWN: Aspirants for positions in the PKR party elections should aspire to set a new trend of campaigning in Malaysia.

PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail is calling on all candidates to display poise and maturity when campaigning to the grassroots as the public eyes are now cast on the party.

With divisional (cabang)-level elections set to kick off from Sept 17 onwards, Saifuddin said due to the involvement of every single member, it is important to stick to the campaign guidelines.

Some 600,000 registered members would take part in the polls and it would climax next month, with national-level elections.

Besides the utilisation of modern technologies such as the short messaging system (SMS) and online social media networking portals or interviews with conventional and alternative media, Saifuddin wants the contestants to try holding open-debates and making sensible pledges on what they hope to deliver.

For example, he said the four candidates for the PKR Youth head post- Rafizi Ramli,32, Hasmi Hashim,35, Badrul Hisham Shahari, 31,and Shamsul Iskandar Akin,35, would participate in an open debate at Taiping (Perak) on Sept 18.

This is a first for the wing and perhaps for the country, Saifuddin who is the Machang MP, said in an interview.

They can organise Hari Raya Adil Fitri open-houses but they should not use such hospitable occasions to backstab opponents, he pointed-out.

Saifuddin was responding to worries expressed by some contestants about how should they campaign in view of the rigid regulations and that, they must now reach out to all members instead of just delegates, as what occured in the past.

“I doubt they do not know how to campaign. It has began in earnest as everybody wants to participate in a party, which is said to be making political headways in the country.”

Unproven claims

Saifuddin said the national election steering committee has already circulated the guidelines but at times the contestants get carried away and resort to an old style of campaigning.

Malicious slander, poison pen letters and unproven claims, have began to emanate from the campaigning grapevine.

Confirming this, Saifuddin said those vying for posts, should have faith in the wisdom of the PKR members.

“If one works hard and campaign effectively, there is a strong chance they would fare well,” Saifuddin said.

Stop reverting to the Barisan Nasional sense of hostile campaigning, it is old school and would be counter-productive to PKR’s message of reforming the country, he advised.