KOTA KINABALU: The names of seven Parti KeADILan Rakyat (PKR) divisional leaders in Sabah were announced by the state liaison chairman Datuk Seri Lajim Ukin here, yesterday.
Lajim who spoke to reporters after chairing the state PKR Political Bureau meeting said the seven divisional chiefs were appointed to replace those who had resigned from the party recently.
“Their appointments are based on the newly amended and endorsed party constitution which states that should a divisional chief post become vacant, the deputy divisional chief will be appointed to fill it,” Lajim said.
He added that there were grouses and voices of dissent among some of the members but stressed that the state leadership’s decision was made based on the party’s constitution.
“The previous constitution states that if the divisional chief post is vacated, the deputy will be appointed as the acting chief but under the new constitution endorsed recently, the deputy will automatically be the chief. In the instance that both the chief and deputy posts are vacant, then the vice will be the new chief,” he stressed.
The seven new divisional chiefs are Abd Wahid Jainal (Silam), Imran Abd Rahman (Putatan), Wedhuru @ Mohd Zahir (Kota Marudu), James Chia (Sandakan) Juharan Kalmin (Kalabakan), Masdin Thomas (Tenom) and Datu Pengiran Ahmad Datu Alam (Semporna).
Lajim also announced the appointment of state Women Movement Information chief Nuriah Jamirun as the Kota Marudu Women Movement chief. Nuriah will also be coordinating the Kudat division Women Movement.
He added that Adris Taripin, who was Tenom acting divisional chief, would be retained as a state supreme council and political bureau member. Adris will also be the coordinator for the Tenom division.
“We express our gratitude to Adris for taking on the responsibility and also for carrying out his duty as acting Tenom divisional chief,” Lajim said.
He stressed that all the new divisional chiefs had assured the state leadership that they would ensure that PKR remained strong and solid.
They will also stay in the post until the party election next year.