I came across this letter in the Star Online by Jed Yoong:
The Opposition’s lament about electoral fraud, intimidation and violence is even more tiring than a broken record.
Especially so after losing in the recent state assembly by-election in Ijok.
As usual upon defeat, the Opposition will cry “foul” and point to a “dirty election” but when they win, they are strangely silent.
Why not cry foul after Lunas or in Permatang Pauh, where Parti Keadilan Rakyat president and only Member of Parliament Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail retained her seat after a recount.
All the allegations about the Barisan Nasional (BN) using government resources, “importing” phantom voters and using police intimidation to win elections are nothing new.
PKR must now face the fact that it lost the Ijok by-election because it failed to secure the Indian votes which consist of about 3,000 or 28% of total votes.
If it had received just 30% of these, this would translate into 1,000 more votes for PKR.
BN was able to secure solid backing from the community after MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu went down to the ground to campaign door-to-door twice.
Of course, there were the free sewing machines and 800 land titles but PKR should look beyond these and ask why they failed to get any Indian vote; the other communities were similarly “pampered” by the BN and yet they voted for PKR.
I was there for most of the campaign period and witnessed the hooliganism on nomination day.
To solely blame BN for violence is inaccurate for PKR supporters shouted insults directed at Umno Youth deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin and at Umno Youth chief and Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein.
Throughout the campaign period, PKR supporters displayed an inclination for provocation and violence, such as stopping Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s car on polling day and taking the law into their own hands to “arrest” alleged phantom voters on board two buses.
Those who claim to fight for the rule of law should respect the law.
PKR has also been calling BN a racist party, but in Ijok the BN proved that it believes in power-sharing and supported an Indian candidate despite calls from Umno for a Malay candidate in the Malay-majority constituency.
The different component parties also worked together with a single cohesive ideology to secure victory.
The Opposition is still swimming about in a pool of conflicting ideologies – DAP fights for a secular state, PAS for an Islamic state and PKR for Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
For them, the battle for Ijok somehow became a battle between Anwar and Najib.
Then somewhere along the line, to secure Chinese votes, Anwar proclaims wo men do ze yi jia ren (we are now one family) to the Chinese and supports vernacular education.
But what alternative would PKR be offering in terms of government; and to Ijokians, how their lives would be better with PKR in the state assembly?
So instead of crying foul over the “dirty electoral process”, PKR should take a good hard look at why it failed to win the Ijok by-election.
I too read this article in The Star and would very much like to rebutt all these statements made by Jed Yoong but knowing MCA Star Publications, my letter would have gone unprinted. Now this is the opportunity that I would like to say my piece.
ReplyDeleteAfter having read Jed Yoong's letter, it gave me the impression that this person must have just come from another planet having such skewed view against the opposition in the Ijok by-election.
He/she said:
1. All the allegations about the Barisan Nasional (BN) using government resources, “importing” phantom voters and using police intimidation to win elections are nothing new.
[In other words, the writer do agree that unethical tactics were used to win the by-election by the BN. So where is the morality in this?]
2. PKR must now face the fact that it lost the Ijok by-election because it failed to secure the Indian votes which consist of about 3,000 or 28% of total votes.
If it had received just 30% of these, this would translate into 1,000 more votes for PKR.
BN was able to secure solid backing from the community after MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu went down to the ground to campaign door-to-door twice.
[How do you expect to get the message across, especially to the Indian community when you have MIC thugs and the police preventing you from entering certain area?]
3. Of course, there were the free sewing machines and 800 land titles but PKR should look beyond these and ask why they failed to get any Indian vote; the other communities were similarly “pampered” by the BN and yet they voted for PKR.
[Spare me on this issue again because it concerns blatantly bribery. How does this person expect PKR to "look beyond these" when by such act, you have virtually pulled the carpet from under their feet? Fortunately, PKR did not have the $$$ resources, because win or lose, it would be a moral victory for them.]
4. I was there for most of the campaign period and witnessed the hooliganism on nomination day.
To solely blame BN for violence is inaccurate for PKR supporters shouted insults directed at Umno Youth deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin and at Umno Youth chief and Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein.
[In other words, hooliganism BN style is acceptable while PKR's is not. What utter rubbish! Hooliganism is hooliganism and both parties must be condemned, not only one. Yoong said he/she was there in Ijok and witnessed the behaviour by PKR members. I believe Yoong had already gone there with the preconceived notion of what to expect from PKR's supporters while closing a blind eye to that of the BN].
5. Throughout the campaign period, PKR supporters displayed an inclination for provocation and violence, such as stopping Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s car on polling day and taking the law into their own hands to “arrest” alleged phantom voters on board two buses.
[Hey, the people who started this was UMNO goons. Look what they did to Tan Sri Khalid on nomination day? And not forgetting that he and two reporters were assualted by the same group while having lunch.]
6. Those who claim to fight for the rule of law should respect the law.
[Yes, I agree with Yoong, but let us start off with the BN - throwing bottles at PKR's supporters and En Shamsuddin (Sam) was hit on the face by a broken branch, engaging the services of Scorpions and Mat Rempits (and MIC thugs), bribing voters (caught on tape), bringing in phantom voters and last but not least, the behaviour of the famous SIL who threaten Ronnie Liew of the DAP with "I'll get you for this" when Ronnie escorted the two buses of phantom voters to the police station].
So, Yoong, what have you got to say about all this or can I assume you are a paid MCA or Gerakan supporter?
PKR has also been calling BN a racist party, but in Ijok the BN proved that it believes in power-sharing and supported an Indian candidate despite calls from Umno for a Malay candidate in the Malay-majority constituency.
The different component parties also worked together with a single cohesive ideology to secure victory.
The Opposition is still swimming about in a pool of conflicting ideologies – DAP fights for a secular state, PAS for an Islamic state and PKR for Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
For them, the battle for Ijok somehow became a battle between Anwar and Najib.
Then somewhere along the line, to secure Chinese votes, Anwar proclaims wo men do ze yi jia ren (we are now one family) to the Chinese and supports vernacular education.
But what alternative would PKR be offering in terms of government; and to Ijokians, how their lives would be better with PKR in the state assembly?
So instead of crying foul over the “dirty electoral process”, PKR should take a good hard look at why it failed to win the Ijok by-election.
Labels: ijok - PKR
posted by KTemoc at 7:19 PM 0 comments
Friday, May 04, 20
The following is the correct posting as the previous one was submitted in error. My apologies.
ReplyDeletetoo read this article in The Star and would very much like to rebutt all these statements made by Jed Yoong but knowing MCA Star Publications, my letter would have gone unprinted. Now this is the opportunity that I would like to say my piece.
After having read Jed Yoong's letter, it gave me the impression that this person must have just come from another planet having such skewed view against the opposition in the Ijok by-election.
He/she said:
1. All the allegations about the Barisan Nasional (BN) using government resources, “importing” phantom voters and using police intimidation to win elections are nothing new.
[In other words, the writer do agree that unethical tactics were used to win the by-election by the BN. So where is the morality in this?]
2. PKR must now face the fact that it lost the Ijok by-election because it failed to secure the Indian votes which consist of about 3,000 or 28% of total votes.
If it had received just 30% of these, this would translate into 1,000 more votes for PKR.
BN was able to secure solid backing from the community after MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu went down to the ground to campaign door-to-door twice.
[How do you expect to get the message across, especially to the Indian community when you have MIC thugs and the police preventing you from entering certain area to campaign?]
3. Of course, there were the free sewing machines and 800 land titles but PKR should look beyond these and ask why they failed to get any Indian vote; the other communities were similarly “pampered” by the BN and yet they voted for PKR.
[Spare me on this issue again because it concerns blatantly bribery. How does this person expect PKR to "look beyond these" when by such act, you have virtually pulled the carpet from under their feet? Fortunately, PKR did not have the $$$ resources, because win or lose, it would be a moral victory for them.]
4. I was there for most of the campaign period and witnessed the hooliganism on nomination day.
To solely blame BN for violence is inaccurate for PKR supporters shouted insults directed at Umno Youth deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin and at Umno Youth chief and Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein.
[In other words, hooliganism BN style is acceptable while PKR's is not. What utter rubbish! Hooliganism is hooliganism and both parties must be condemned, not only one. Yoong said he/she was there in Ijok and witnessed the behaviour by PKR members. I believe Yoong had already gone there with the preconceived notion of what to expect from PKR's supporters while closing a blind eye to that of the BN].
5. Throughout the campaign period, PKR supporters displayed an inclination for provocation and violence, such as stopping Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s car on polling day and taking the law into their own hands to “arrest” alleged phantom voters on board two buses.
[Hey, the people who started this was UMNO goons. Look what they did to Tan Sri Khalid on nomination day? And not forgetting that he and two reporters were assualted by the same group while taking a break for lunch.]
6. Those who claim to fight for the rule of law should respect the law.
[Yes, I agree with Yoong, but let us start off with the BN - throwing bottles at PKR's supporters and En Shamsuddin (Sam) was hit on the face by a broken branch, engaging the services of Scorpions and Mat Rempits (and MIC thugs), bribing voters (caught on tape), bringing in phantom voters and last but not least, the behaviour of the famous SIL who threaten Ronnie Liew of the DAP with "I'll get you for this" when Ronnie escorted the two buses of phantom voters to the police station].
So, Yoong, what have you got to say about all this or can I assume you are a paid MCA or Gerakan supporter?
"...Of course, there were the free sewing machines and 800 land titles but..."
ReplyDeleteBut of course, let conveniently overlook the fact that the defending party has to resort to giving out goodies to get their votes from a constituency that had nothing much done for them... well, until their previous rep died. And if he was still alive today, Ijok will be another rural district without freshly tarred roads.
And VK Chin's recent column TOTALLY tries to spin the well known fact that political parties like BN only spring into action if theres an election. And do nothing if there's none.
But he's right in one area; "If by-elections could bring such swift benefits, no doubt many would wish there were more such contests".
Which reminds me... I need to finish making the Voodoo doll of my wakil rakyat. Hoping for a by-election in my place soon...
To brighteyes
ReplyDeleteQuit your Voodoo doll project and instead do a Cho Seung-hui on your wakil rakyat. Much faster that way
billy, if you read carefully, the author of letter did not condone hooliganism or said there wasn't any pork barrelling.
ReplyDeleteall she did was to raise the issue of double standards of PKR's complaints, because PKR had also committed some of the acts it accused the BN of - albeit to a lesser degree.
anyway, pork barrelling is not unique to Malaysia but is a noted pre-election feature in advance democracies like Australia and NZ - the only difference is those western countries do it more subtly in the guise of new policies, and well earlier. But Malaysia typically is more crude though for the desired impact of effect for locals. The necessity for the drama of last minute pork barrelling is shameful by western standards but reflects our society's expectation - too subtle and no one notices it.