KUALA LUMPUR, March 29 — PKR secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail told the High Court today that former PKR vice-president and Ampang MP Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin had signed a bond that binded her to the party, willingly.

Saifuddin, 59, who is also the Home Minister said Zuraida was also aware that candidates chosen to contest in the 14th General Election in 2018, under the party’s banner, need to sign the bond.

This was a condition stated in an agreement signed by the party’s candidates before contesting in the 14th general election in 2018.

"As the secretary-general of the party, I can confirm that the defendant (Zuraida) never sent a letter or official document to raise any objection or contest the validity of the bond, whether before or after being elected as a Member of Parliament.

"I have also not received any letter from the defendant to claim that she was forced to sign the bond,” said Saifuddin who appeared as a witness in suit filed by PKR against Zuraida for breaching the agreement (bond) that she had signed,

Saifuddin said Zuraida as the former PKR vice president and also member of the party’s political bureau had attended a political bureau meeting at the PKR headquarters on April 17, 2018.

"During the Political Bureau meeting, I had informed that a code of conduct for candidates has been prepared to specify that every candidate must execute a bond prior to being issued with a letter from the party to to contest in the 14th General Election.

"Since the defendant had attended the meeting, she would have been aware of the need for candidates to sign the bond if they wished to contest in the 14th General Election on a PKR ticket. The defendant did not raise any objection but instead agreed that was a need to set such terms and conditions to control the action of candidates who contested under the party’s banner and received the support from the party,” he said.

Saifuddin who appeared as PKR’s first witness said the bond requirement was to bind candidates and to ensure candidates understood that the party incurred a significant amount to promote the party and giving the candidates permission to use the party’s logo, flag, emblem when contesting under the party’s ticket.

Zuraida had decided to leave the party on February 24, 2020 to join Bersatu, a party that later formed a new coalition to take over the federal government.

On October 2, PKR filed a lawsuit against Zuraida on behalf of the party for breaching the agreement, seeking up to RM10 million in damages.

PKR had said it was invoking Section 71 of the Act to establish its rights to recover compensation from the benefits Zuraida enjoyed as Ampang MP, in addition to the benefits she received during her tenure as housing and local government minister.

PKR claimed that by signing the bond, Zuraida agreed to pay the party a sum of RM10 million at the latest seven days, in the event of several incidents, after winning the election on a PKR ticket, including if she resigns from the party or joins other political parties or becomes an independent elected representative.

"Due to her defection, the party lost the representation of a member of Parliament in Dewan Rakyat and a Minister in the cabinet but the defendant refused to vacate her post and instead enjoyed all the benefits as Member of Parliament and Minister under party BERSATU and Perikatan Nasional (PN).

"Therefore, it was not fair for the defendant to enjoy such perks which would not have been possible if she had not won the seat under PKR,” he said in his witness statement during today’s proceedings.

The hearing was held online and presided by High Court judge Datuk Akhtar Tahir. — Bernama