Johor PKR to back Bersih 2.0’s mock recall election against Tebrau MP

JOHOR BARU, June 30 ― Johor PKR said today it will support election watchdog Bersih 2.0’s “Sack or Keep campaign” where the party’s Tebrau parliamentary constituency will be put under an online simulated recall election (SREL).

Its deputy chief Jimmy Puah Wee Tse said Bersih 2.0’s initiative with SREL in the Tebrau parliamentary constituency is timely following the defection of the party’s former MP Steven Choong Shiau Yoon earlier this year.

“After the mass defections and the Sheraton Move, this initiative by the civil movement is timely as we need to make those [who defected] accountable for their actions.

“Malaysia needs an anti-hopping law and a platform where the voters are empowered to have a say.

“As a Malaysian and a voter myself, I’m devastated. However, with such a mechanism (SREL), I hope Malaysia and Tebrau voters can join us in this endeavor,” said Puah during the press conference on the initiative’s launch.

Present was Tebrau PKR division chief Teoh Eng Yoon and Bersih 2.0 chairman Thomas Fann.

Last week, Bersih 2.0 announced that their first target on the recall election campaign will be Choong.

Bersih 2.0 said that it had been contacted by the Johor PKR on its interest to participate in the online SREL session against Choong, who has left the party, switching his allegiance towards the Perikatan Nasional (PN) ruling coalition.

A recall election is a system that allows voters in a constituency to remove their elected representative before the end of his or her term. It’s a system widely used in the US, the British Columbia region in Canada, Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, Switzerland and Ukraine.

Puah, who is also the Bukit Batu assemblyman, congratulated Bersih 2.0 on its efforts in improving the public’s perception on the electoral system.

He said if the online SREL session is successful in Tebrau, the Election Commission (EC) should consider recommending it to the government of the day.

“The online SREL session will only be meaningful if the signatures of the movement come from all sides and not just the political side. There is a deeper meaning where the people are empowered to do something. Other civil society movements should take this seriously.

“After all, its awareness and a good start,” said Puah, adding that he urge all eligible voters to participate.

However, Puah stressed that the online SREL is only a simulation exercise to create awareness and will not in any way remove Choong as a federal lawmaker.

“Of course this is only an awareness exercise and will not chage YB Steven’s position as MP,” he said.

The online petition calling for the online SREL in Tebrau opens at 12pm on June 30 at recall.bersih.org.

This online petition allows registered voters of P.158 Tebrau to sign in support of calling an online SREL session to remove the Tebrau MP Choong who announced on February 28 this year his departure from PKR to be an independent MP supporting the PN government of Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

Since February this year, three PKR MPs — former vice president and Kuala Langat MP Datuk Dr Xavier Jayakumar, former PKR Sarawak chief and Julau MP Larry Sng as well as Chong had announced their departure from the party, citing their independence and support for PN.