KUALA KUBU BARU: PKR's Hulu Selangor by-election campaign machinery has come under fire from several quarters within Pakatan Rakyat for its organisational and implementation failures.
“It looks like too many people from PKR are involved and as such work is not being done effectively on the ground,” said a local Pakatan leader who refused to be named.
The by-election campaign is headed by Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim at the state level and under him falls the state excos as well as the party's hierarchy.
The Pakatan leader also told FMT that the lack of proper top-to-down communication has also resulted in the party being slow in putting up posters and distributing leaflets of its candidate Zaid Ibrahim.
“In fact, there are times when Zaid's schedules are also not informed on time by the party organisers, which leaves the party workers and supporters in the dark as to what's being planned for the day,” added the Pakatan leader.
Similarly other Pakatan leaders also complain on the failure of the PKR machinery in organising proper lodging and food for party workers coming for campaigning from other states.
In one case, a PKR team from Johor who had planned to remain in Hulu Selangor for eight days decided to return on the evening of the nomination day itself as the PKR hosts failed to organise lodging for them.
"We came here to do eight days of consecutive campaign but the hosts failed to arrange lodging for us. We will only come back on polling day," said a Johor campaign worker.
There is also another case where the Penang PAS Muslimat team had returned home one day after nominations after the hosts failed to arrange food for the volunteers.
These Pakatan leaders are appealing to the PKR leadership to address these issues urgently in order to ensure a PKR win in the April 25 by-election.
"We don't want the spirit of fighting for Pakatan Rakyat's success be hampered by unnecessary trivial issues.
“The party will have to buck up quickly to ensure its candidate gets all the support he needs on the ground,” they said.
FMT also learnt that PAS campaign workers have started distibuting leaflets and posters of Zaid to help out their comrades from PKR. Similarly, PAS will also be arranging ceramahs for Zaid in the Malay areas.
When contacted, PKR's communications director Jonson Chong said the party was doing its best to overcome initial challenges in the campaign.
“We are also working very closely with our Pakatan partners to do all that's necessary to help the candidate's message reach the voters effectively,” he said.
Two more defections expected
Meanwhile, in another development, PKR insiders also said that they are bracing for at least two more defections from the party before the by-election on Saturday.
Yesterday, Hulu Selangor PKR treasurer Dr Halili Rahmat quit PKR to join Umno after saying that he was attracted to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's style of administration.
PKR leaders however said that Halili had defected after he was overlooked as the candidate for Hulu Selangor.
A party insider who who spoke to FMT on the condition of anonymity said one of the potential defectors could be a senior leader who had lobbied hard for Halili to be picked as the candidate.
“The spirit of this particular leader is very low now. By his body language it is clear that he is clearly very upset that the party didn't choose Halili,” said the source.
The by-election, held due to the death of PKR's Zainal Abidin Ahmad on March 25, will see a straight fight between Zaid and BN's P Kamalanathan.
In a related development, PKR was hit by two fresh defections when its Perak Wanita election chief Soraya Sulaiman and her deputy Roshanita Mohd Basir joined Umno.
Also leaving PKR for Umno was Roshanita’s husband Saghazali Abd Kadir.
FMT
20/04/10
“It looks like too many people from PKR are involved and as such work is not being done effectively on the ground,” said a local Pakatan leader who refused to be named.
The by-election campaign is headed by Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim at the state level and under him falls the state excos as well as the party's hierarchy.
The Pakatan leader also told FMT that the lack of proper top-to-down communication has also resulted in the party being slow in putting up posters and distributing leaflets of its candidate Zaid Ibrahim.
“In fact, there are times when Zaid's schedules are also not informed on time by the party organisers, which leaves the party workers and supporters in the dark as to what's being planned for the day,” added the Pakatan leader.
Similarly other Pakatan leaders also complain on the failure of the PKR machinery in organising proper lodging and food for party workers coming for campaigning from other states.
In one case, a PKR team from Johor who had planned to remain in Hulu Selangor for eight days decided to return on the evening of the nomination day itself as the PKR hosts failed to organise lodging for them.
"We came here to do eight days of consecutive campaign but the hosts failed to arrange lodging for us. We will only come back on polling day," said a Johor campaign worker.
There is also another case where the Penang PAS Muslimat team had returned home one day after nominations after the hosts failed to arrange food for the volunteers.
These Pakatan leaders are appealing to the PKR leadership to address these issues urgently in order to ensure a PKR win in the April 25 by-election.
"We don't want the spirit of fighting for Pakatan Rakyat's success be hampered by unnecessary trivial issues.
“The party will have to buck up quickly to ensure its candidate gets all the support he needs on the ground,” they said.
FMT also learnt that PAS campaign workers have started distibuting leaflets and posters of Zaid to help out their comrades from PKR. Similarly, PAS will also be arranging ceramahs for Zaid in the Malay areas.
When contacted, PKR's communications director Jonson Chong said the party was doing its best to overcome initial challenges in the campaign.
“We are also working very closely with our Pakatan partners to do all that's necessary to help the candidate's message reach the voters effectively,” he said.
Two more defections expected
Meanwhile, in another development, PKR insiders also said that they are bracing for at least two more defections from the party before the by-election on Saturday.
Yesterday, Hulu Selangor PKR treasurer Dr Halili Rahmat quit PKR to join Umno after saying that he was attracted to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's style of administration.
PKR leaders however said that Halili had defected after he was overlooked as the candidate for Hulu Selangor.
A party insider who who spoke to FMT on the condition of anonymity said one of the potential defectors could be a senior leader who had lobbied hard for Halili to be picked as the candidate.
“The spirit of this particular leader is very low now. By his body language it is clear that he is clearly very upset that the party didn't choose Halili,” said the source.
The by-election, held due to the death of PKR's Zainal Abidin Ahmad on March 25, will see a straight fight between Zaid and BN's P Kamalanathan.
In a related development, PKR was hit by two fresh defections when its Perak Wanita election chief Soraya Sulaiman and her deputy Roshanita Mohd Basir joined Umno.
Also leaving PKR for Umno was Roshanita’s husband Saghazali Abd Kadir.
FMT
20/04/10
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