‘Instant PPP members’ cry privacy invasion

Police reports have been lodged and DAP is seeking a ROS probe.

SENAWANG: At least four people have been made members of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) without their knowledge and DAP is helping them to unravel the mystery by asking the Registrar of Societies (ROS) to investigate.

At a press conference arranged by DAP, all four said they received their PPP membership information by post and expressed distress over the invasion of their privacy. Three said they had lodged reports with the police.

One of them, Chua Yaw Long of Seremban, said he was anxious to know how PPP had been able to track his movements.

“I’ve been living in Seremban for the past 10 years, but my MyKad still carries my Malacca address, which is actually my parents’ home,” he said.

“On Jan 21, I received in the post a PPP membership card bearing my name, my MyKad number and my Malacca address.The card was sent to the Malacca address, but my PPP branch is stated as Bandar Seremban Selatan.

“How did PPP get my information? I have never applied to join any political party.”

Chua’s card shows that his membership number is N734308 and that he has been a PPP member since Aug 28 last year. He lodged a report with the Seremban district police headquarters last Friday.

The case involving R Vijiyan and his wife Mabel Sue Geach is even stranger. They are both active DAP members. In fact, Vijiyan has been the deputy secretary of a DAP branch in Senawang since March 2010.

The couple, whose home is in Taman Seremban Jaya, received the membership cards last Feb 8.

“We never applied to be PPP members,” Vijiyan said. “If they can do this, what else they can do with our personal details?

“I take this as a serious matter and I lodged a police report on 13th February at the Senawang police station.”

Vijiyan’s PPP membership number is N733451 and Geach’s is N733453. Their cards state that they have been members of PPP’s Taman Ampuan Najhah branch since Aug 1 last year.

The fourth complainant, V Selvamani, described himself as an active member of MIC’s branch in Taman Bukit Sri Senawang.

“I pay my MIC membership fees every year without fail,” he said. “But three weeks ago, I received a letter in the mail and was shocked to open it and find a PPP membership card under my name.

“How did PPP do this? And why? How did they get my personal details?”

Selvamani is stated to have been a member of PPP’s Kuala Sawah branch since Aug 28 last year. His membership number is N734317.

Negeri Sembilan DAP chief Cha Kee Chin told the press conference he believed PPP was trying to increase its membership to strengthen its position with the BN leadership in negotiations for seats to contest in the coming general election.

“My theory is that PPP is trying to prove that it has more members in Negeri Sembilan than a rival BN party,” he said.

“I will write a letter to ROS and urge them to conduct an investigation on this case.”