Something is very wrong with PKR, says UNKO veteran Lojingki

By Ezra Haganez
PENAMPANG: Something is not right with Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), if the party's elections is of any barometer.

A veteran leader of the now-defunct UNKO, Fred Edwin Lojingki, 69, said the chaotic and sometimes violent nature of the PKR on-going polls in Sabah as well as in Semenanjung is a manifestation of bad political culture being promoted in the party.

"In my very long years in politics since the 1960's until now, both as activist and observer, i have never seen something like this where party election was so marred with violence, tampered with underhand tactics, being run under chaotic management.


"Not in UNKO, not in UPKO, not in Pekemas, not in any political party. What we have had was isolated cases, but in PKR, chaos and violence seem to be the norm everywhere, rather than exception or isolated case," he said in a statement here today.

Lojingki said he is issuing this observation as a reminder to younger politicians not to fall into the trap of few leaders' bad political culture that will eventually ruin the whole civil society we have now.

"Datuk Anwar Ibrahim, being the de facto leader of PKR is the one to be blamed for all this ruckus. There were claims within PKR that Anwar promotes unlimited "political animalism" against good ethics, and this worries many.

"One must remember that we don't live forever in this world. We as leaders must leave behind a legacy of good examples of how to get things done correctly, not to do everything, including bad things, just to achieve the end we want,' he said.

Lojingki, who is an ardent follower of goings-on in PKR but not a member of the party, said was saddened and disappointed to see Sabahan politicians in PKR getting themselves entangled with violence and dirty politics.

"I heard in Semporna, the incumbent divisional chief had to pull out his shotgun to force ballot boxes locked inside a room. In Batu Sapi, Sandakan, a candidate for divisional chief punched a party officer.

"Elsewhere boxings and kickings are the norms. In Semenanjung, there were cases where people get hurt and even legs broken, it is bewildering... 

"Here closer to my hometown Penampang, today the polling was also chaotic and marred with disturbances. It was very unruly, there was no peace, i am told by my relatives who happen to be PKR members," he added.