Former sec-gen insists PKR leaders committed criminal offence
By Adib Zalkapli, The Malaysian Insider
Former PKR secretary-general Datuk Salehuddin Hashim continued his fight to clear his name today, declaring that those responsible in forging a letter purportedly signed by him must be brought to justice.
Salehuddin said that while the court had decided that it could not interfere in the party’s management, PKR must be held responsible for attempting to falsify a dismissal letter.
“I am not so much concerned on the suitability of S. Jenapala to run in that election as much as I am that my name and the office I held were used fraudulently as evidence that a member has been sacked by me,” he told a press conference here.
“I am pleased to note that officials of PKR have indicated that they will give their fullest co-operation; unlike Tian Chua who apparently had appointed himself spokesman for the police by saying that the police will not be interested in the technical details,” said Salehuddin (picture).
“May I remind everyone that it is the details that make up the whole, and that it was poor attention to details that resulted in the poor control and management of the recent party elections,” he added.
Jenapala was a former deputy secretary-general who was prevented from contesting in the PKR election as the party claimed that he had been sacked in February last year for attempting to form a new party.
He sought a declaration at the Kuala Lumpur High Court that he was still a PKR member and eligible to contest the deputy presidency.
PKR submitted to the court a dismissal letter purportedly signed by Salehuddin in February last year.
The letter, dated February 2, 2009, was addressed to Jenapala informing him of his termination from PKR due to his alleged involvement in setting up a new party.
Salehuddin later filed an affidavit claiming that he did not issue the said letter and lodged a police report over the matter.
“All the big power abuses that we may see today did not start off the way they are now. They started off as small almost insignificant acts of deceit such as the one I am highlighting now,” said Salehuddin.
He also pointed out that the PKR political bureau only discussed possible action against Jenapala in August 2009, seven months after the alleged sacking took place.
“The court had decided in Jenapala’s case that it has no jurisdiction. But let me remind you that this case is a criminal matter,” said Salehuddin, citing provisions in the Penal Code.
“I trust the wrongdoers in PKR will be brought to court. This is not a political matter, this is a criminal matter,” he added.
