[UPDATED] Time’s up: Zuraida’s fate now in the hands of PBM disciplinary committee

KUALA LUMPUR – Parti Bangsa Malaysia’s (PBM) disciplinary committee will now determine the membership status of Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin and 12 others after they failed to respond to a show-cause letter in time. 

Party president Larry Sng confirmed to The Vibes that none of them have responded by yesterday’s stipulated deadline, adding that an official statement will be issued by the disciplinary chairman later today. 

Besides Zuraida, other big names who face disciplinary action include the party’s deputy president Haniza Mohamed Talha, secretary-general Nor Hizwan Ahmad and information chief Zakaria Abdul Hamid. 

The nine others are PBM supreme council members – Rahimah Majid, Sathiskumar Govindaraju, Muhammad Saiful Bahari Sahari, Daroyah Alwi, Na’im Brundage, Abdul Aziz Abdul Kadir, Zakaria Abdul Rahim, Datuk Roger Tan Seng Huat and Albakri Salim. 

They were previously part of 15 party members who were suspended on October 29, although two of them – Muniraa Abu Bakar and Datuk Chua Lian Chye – have since been reinstated on December 17 after filing an appeal. 

Their suspensions are in relation to their “involvement in undermining the interests of the party and its leadership”, after they announced Zuraida as the new PBM president on October 8, a week after the party held its annual general meeting. 

Later that month, Sng issued a statement maintaining he is still the legitimate president, based on the Registrar of Societies’ records.

Last Tuesday, Sng told The Vibes that Zuraida and 12 of her allies have been issued a show-cause letter and were given a week to respond, failing which they risk being terminated as members. 

In a Facebook post yesterday, the Julau MP revealed that they were suspended for violating a memorandum signed by Zuraida on November 1, which recognises the legitimacy of his presidency. 

The letter also explicitly said Zuraida will not challenge Sng’s presidency until the triennial delegate conference due in 2024. 

Speaking to The Vibes, Sng expressed bemusement over why Zuraida and her supporters continue to question his presidency despite signing the letter of support. 

He added that some of the members in Zuraida’s faction who currently face possible termination have also specifically stated that they will not be responding to the show-cause letter. 

“Yes, this includes Zuraida.” – The Vibes, December 27, 2022