PKR to probe corruption claim during party polls

KUALA LUMPUR: PKR will initiate an investigation into claims that there was money politics and corruption in its ongoing party elections.
Its president-elect Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the matter would be one of the items on the agenda up for discussion at its weekly political bureau meeting.
"We will discuss it tonight. We have a political bureau meeting later," he told reporters when met in Parliament, here, today.
When pressed further for details, including if he was aware of such instances during the party polls, the newly-elected Port Dickson MP remained tight-lipped.
Anwar was responding to allegations by PKR deputy president candidate Rafizi Ramli that money politics was rampant in its ongoing polls.
Rafizi, who is up against Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali for the number two post, claimed that this was happening in six states that have already concluded their elections, alleging that the giving out of money was being done by those from "the other side".
The party vice-president alleged that in some states, voters were being offered RM100 for one vote.
Meanwhile, PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said the party would investigate the matter internally, and that its Central Elections Committee (JPP) would decide on whether to call up Rafizi to record his statement soon.
The Deputy Prime Minister said she was not aware of the matter prior to being told by the media.
"We will investigate now that I am aware of this," she told a press conference, here, today.
The party elections is expected to be concluded later next month, with all eyes on the deputy presidency position pitting Mohamed Azmin and Rafizi, with the former leading by a very slim margin half way into the polls.