KUALA LUMPUR – There are no “hidden hands” dictating the results of PKR’s recent internal polls, despite the delay of its forensic audit report, as its election committee needs more time to collect and analyse the data, said party communication chief Fahmi Fadzil.
He said the central leadership council (CLC) was informed by the election committee (EC) on Monday that the forensic audit involved more than 4,000 tablets used during the polls.
“I am confident of the system’s transparency and integrity. There are no problems. But the EC still has to deal with some issues as it involved 1,800 complaints.
“The level of reliability (of the audit) is very, very high. I can say it (quality of the auditing done) is the level of the courts,” he said after a food aid event in his Lembah Pantai constituency here today.
He said the forensic audit has even led to the EC ordering for a re-election in the Ampang division.
“As for the party polls results, perhaps EC will make an announcement by June 29 after the Ampang election is completed,” he told Getaran, The Vibes’ Bahasa Malaysia sister portal.
Yesterday, EC chairman Zaliha Mustafa, in a notice to party members, said fresh polls for the division would be held between 12pm and 8pm at Dewan Dato’ Ahmad Razali in Kg Baru Ampang.
This came after the party’s complaints committee panel found violations took place in the division on May 21.
It also resulted in newly elected Ampang chief Daing Muhammad Reduan Bachok being disqualified, as the race narrows down to celebrities Datuk Hans Isaac and Altimet.
U-turn on chicken ceiling prices a rational move
On a separate matter, Fahmi lauded the government’s about-turn on lifting the ceiling prices for chicken effective July 1.
“The simultaneous elimination of subsidies on food items will have a negative impact on the people’s finances as a whole, not just the B40 group but the middle-income (M40) earners too. The decision to reintroduce ceiling prices for chicken is a rational and realistic move.
“However, Pakatan Harapan is urging the cabinet to explain its subsidy rationalisation and plans for this year to tackle the issue.”
He said it is disheartening to hear complaints from constituents that RM60 of every RM100 spent goes towards cooking oil and chicken even before the subsidy rationalisation initially planned for July 1.
Fahmi added that he will have a sales event for subsidised food items on July 2 and 3 for 800 Lembah Pantai residents.
“We will be working with Mydin so residents only need to pay RM50 for items totalling RM100. The location will be decided later, but one will be in Kg Kerinchi and another in Taman Seri Sentosa.”
Yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced the prices of chicken will be capped despite an earlier announcement that its ceiling prices would be lifted by July 1.
The new ceiling price for chicken will be announced in the near future.
Meanwhile, the government will no longer go ahead with its initial plan to increase the electricity tariff for domestic users.
The prime minister added that this latest decision will cost the government RM5.8 billion in subsidies. – The Vibes, June 25, 2022
