KUALA LUMPUR, March 12 — PKR’s central leadership election is using a delegate voting system this year, a move seen as more transparent and reducing the influence of “cai” or candidate alliances among contestants.
PKR vice-president Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad told Berita Harian that while the system relies on delegate votes, it still involves a significant number — nearly 30,000 delegates.
The Setiawangsa MP added that the decision was not made hastily but was unanimously approved at a special PKR congress.
“This system ensures a fairer and more representative election. Previous polls prioritised numbers over representation.
“As a result, some branch chief candidates won purely by mobilising central candidates.
“This election also mandates diversity, requiring each branch delegation to comprise at least 30 per cent women and 30 per cent members from the Youth wing,” he was quoted as saying today.
Previously, Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Abdul Karim criticised the shift from a one-member-one-vote system, arguing that it undermines PKR’s democratic principles by limiting the decision-making to selected delegates rather than the entire grassroots membership.
Nik Nazmi, who is also the minister of natural resources and environmental sustainability, clarified that the one-member-one-vote system is still used at the branch level to select eligible candidates.
“Branch-level elections continue to follow the one-member-one-vote system,” he said.
