KUALA LUMPUR, June 23 — Parti Keadilan Rakyat (Keadilan) may consider taking legal action against some of its former members who betrayed the party before.
Keadilan Information Chief Fahmi Fadzil said this came after the High Court, in a decision made today, ordered the party’s former vice-president Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin to pay RM10 million to Keadilan for breaching the bond binding her to the party.
“At the next Keadilan leadership meeting, the action taken against Zuraida and the court’s decision today may be discussed…(we know) she was not the only one who jumped ship at that time, there were others too.
“So, Keadilan may continue taking legal action against those who betrayed the party,” he told reporters here today.
Earlier, Judge Datuk Akhtar Tahir allowed PKR’s suit against Zuraida after finding that the bond was a valid and binding contract.
The court also ordered Zuraida to pay RM50,000 in costs.
While lauding the court’s decision, Fahmi, who is also the Communications and Digital Minister, said it proved Keadilan’s stance that party hopping is an action committed only by those without principles, despite the fact that Zuraida breached the bond before the anti-party hopping law was enforced.
“That’s why the party has the bond signed with her and others who contested (in elections) on Keadilan’s ticket,” he said.
In February 2020, Zuraida and 10 other Members of Parliament from Keadilan, including the then deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali, declared that they were quitting the party and Pakatan Harapan (PH) to set up an independent bloc in Parliament, which Keadilan deemed an “act of betrayal”.
Earlier, Fahmi presented award and cash donation to 34 students from his Lembah Pantai constituency who excelled in their 2022 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination.
“This is part of my efforts as Lembah Pantai Member of Parliament to help these students who are mostly from B40 and M40 families, with the hope that they will be able to pursue their education to the highest level possible.
“And for them to be able to access and learn about the various new trends and technologies, such as artificial intelligence, to prepare them to enter the job market,” he added.
— Bernama
