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Machap by-election – suspend Zahid as deputy information minister for violating NIP

Machap by-election - suspend Zahid as deputy information minister

My first reaction to the Bernama report yesterday, “Info Ministry To Counter All Issues Raised In Machap Polls”, quoting the Deputy Information Minister Datuk Ahmad Zahid Hamidi that the Information Ministry will counter all issues, including personal matters of national, state and local leaders, raised by the Opposition in the run-up to the Machap by-election was whether it was an April Fool’s joke.

Zahid said it was the ministry’s responsibility to explain the truth to the voters on issues highlighted so that they would not be swayed by the baseless allegations.

“Personal issues and allegations on certain leaders are disheartening. I advise Machap voters not to be taken in by DAP speakers harping on personal and private matters,” Zahid told reporters after chairing a meeting on the by-election in Alor Gajah yesterday.

I had wondered whether Zahid was playing an April Fool’s joke on the voters of Machap and the people of Malaysia because no minister or deputy minister had ever been so blatant in 50 years of Malaysian independence in declaring or admitting about the misuse of government machinery, resources and funds in a general election or by-election to support the candidates of the ruling coalition.

For the first time, a deputy information minister had openly confessed that the Information Ministry is part of the election or by-election machinery of the Barisan Nasional, with the entire resources of the Information Ministry commandeered in the campaign of misinformation and disinformation against the Opposition candidate.

This is most shocking, for it marks another low point in the deterioration of public integrity and morality of the Abdullah premiership — where the distinctions between government, political party and personal interests are completely blurred and destroyed, which is the root cause of the galloping corruption and power abuses in the country.

I challenge the Election Commission Chairman, Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman to declare whether he is prepared to condemn such a gross abuse of power and serious electoral malpractice which has continued to tarnish the Malaysian electoral system preventing it from being a free, fair and honest process for voters to meaningfully choose their elected representative, whether State or Parliament.

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi should repudiate the statement by Zahid that the Information Ministry will be partisanly involved in the Machap by-election to secure votes for the Barisan Nasional candidate as Parliament had never approved any budget for the Information Ministry to be spent to campaign for Barisan Nasional candidates, whether in a general election or by-election.

Zahid has in fact publicly gone against Abdullah’s pledge to promote integrity in governance and the National Integrity Plan — for which Zahid should be immediately suspended as Deputy Information Minister to demonstrate Abdullah’s serious commitment about the National Integrity Plan.

44 Replies to “Machap by-election – suspend Zahid as deputy information minister for violating NIP”

  3. YB LKS said: “………because no minister or deputy minister had ever been so blatant in 50 years of Malaysian independence in declaring or admitting about the misuse of government machinery, resources and funds in a general election or by-election to support the candidates of the ruling coalition.’

    Isn’t it true there have always been flagrant and gross abuses of the government machinery for as long as I can remember? UMNO has always treated the government’s assets as UMNO’s and UMNO’s as UMNO’s – in all things big and small. WIth all the brute majority that UMNO has, do we not have plenty of examples where UMNO always rode roughshod over the system of governance and blatantly ignored all principles of separation and accountability.

    Machap is today’s touchstone for the people to send strong signals:
    That ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
    That Malaysia is multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multi-religious and NOT just UMNO, UMNO, UMNO!
    That the government must be a multi-racial government and not just UMNO, UMNO, UMNO.
    That even UMNO,UMNO,UMNO must be subjected to the rule of law and the principles of accountability and transparency.
    That UMNO, UMNO, UMNO Ministers cannot behave as if they are a triad or mafia and tyrannises the people at will.
    That UMNO, UMNO, UMNO Ministers cannot accrete to themselves the wealth of the nation and treat these as personal rewards and benefits of public office; that UMNO,UMNO, UMNO Ministers must cease and sesist from regarding these as spoils or plunder for success at the ballot box through gerrymandering.

    MACHAP must be a touchstone and a turning point for the nation.

  4. Come on!! Is it really that “shocking” to you that a BN minister “misuse government machinery, resources and funds in a general election or by-election to support the candidates of the ruling coalition.”

    What do you call “timely” announcement of new school, new hospital, new road just before each election? What do you call the interviews and propoganda on RTM / newspaper of BN candidates but no oppositon candidate?

    “Shocking”? No, people of Malaysia are already so used to it! Election Commission are also used to it. It’s already the norm!

    So, why aren’t the opposition also get used to it?

  5. “For the first time, a deputy information minister had openly confessed that the Information Ministry is part of the election or by-election machinery of the Barisan Nasional, with the entire resources of the Information Ministry commandeered in the campaign of misinformation and disinformation against the Opposition candidate.” LKS

    LOL. Malaysia must be the laughing stock of the entire free world right now!! Where do I go to read this and get a printout to circulate to the new network like the CNN, Fox, NBC, CNBC, ABC and XYZ?

    However, let’s be accurate in what we say. Could it be that it is just news like any other?

    It is fortunate or unfortunate that the practice in Malaysia is not to allow candidates for the election to indulge in negative campaigning. In the United States, this is allowed and you get to see TV ads on the negative qualities of the candidates they oppose. When I first saw it I felt disgusted. But then I realize that in this country the free speech right of the candidates must be respected at all cost– and the media cannot be muzzled or silenced. What is different is that over here, you can always resort to the courts to re-dress a wrong. You cannot take away the constitutional free speech right of the candidate.

    In Malaysia, students of Malaysian politics will not disagree with me that public funds can be used and are invariably used to fund candidates in the elections. Malaysia is notorious for doing so. So what’s new?

    What’s new could be in the fact that a government Minister has for the first time in history come out in defending the practice. That Minister should be sacked for making Malaysia the laughing stock of the free world – or should he be given an award for the free publicity the country receives?

  7. “Zahid said it was the ministry’s responsibility to explain the truth to the voters on issues highlighted so that they would not be swayed by the baseless allegations.”

    Obviously he is confused by the different hats he is wearing.

    For the media if it is news, it should report what was said in an objective manner leaving the candidates to resort to our courts to redress any wrongdoing, and for the public to form its own opinion.

  8. This has very strong implications on the concept of ‘civil service neutrality’ – part of our parliamentary system of government.

    When a party has been in power this long, lines get blurred. For example, they are unable to distinguish the civil service (or government machinery) funded by taxpayers and the political party which runs the government or the machinery.

    You see this all the time when a government controlled news media e.g. in the form of air time is being used to campaign for the ruling party, when there is a black out on what the opposition is saying over an issue of interest to the public, thereby giving the impression that the opposition is bankrupt of ideas. It is important that we distinguish ‘campaigning’ and mere news reporting.

    Does anyone here think that it is easy?

  9. Election Commission (“EC”) Chairman, Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Raman should be asked why his EC published the Code of Election Ethics (“Code”) that it does not think serious enough to enforce.

    I understand that the Code specifically prohibits the misuse of buildings and vehicles or communication devices belonging to the state or government for campaigning.

    If a candidate cannot even use ‘communication devices belonging to the state or government’, how could he be assisted by the entire communication apparatus of the Information Ministry as suggested by its deputy minister, Datuk Ahmad Zahid Hamidi?

    Where is the level playing field if the BN can use every single government, tax-payer funded piece of state machinery to ensure the success of its candidates?

    Taking the Jan 28 Batu Talam by-election as an example, at that time, 22 year old Independent Ng Chee Pang had urged the EC to disqualify his BN rival Abdul Aziz Kiram.

    Chee Pang said, “I have photos. For instance, a Chinese school hall was used, BN flags were hung all over the place for Dr Ng Yen Yen (BN Raub MP and deputy finance minister) to campaign for the candidate.” (He also claimed that police and local council trucks were used to transport chairs and other items for the BN campaign).

    In that instance, the returning officer Abdul Kadir Awang Bakar did act perfunctorily on the complaint by taking down the posters/flags that were hung at the fence of a government school.

    In response to Chee Pang’s request for disqualification of his BN rival, Abdul Kadir argued that since the posters have been taken down, “the case is closed”.

    Now the EC then said that it could not disqualify the BN candidate because it had no power to act on complaints based on the Code. “The code of ethics is just a guideline for candidates contesting in the election, we can’t disqualify anyone based on that,” the EC issued a statement.

    I really do not know how far this is true – ane wonder whether anyone has tried applying to court for a declaration or injunction to stop such tactics – but I understand that violations of the Code are not an offence under the Election Offences Act 1954 according to a research fellow with the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Institute of Malaysian and International Studies – Wong Chin Huat – who has studied the Malaysian electoral system.

    He had opined that the Code was a mere guideline, subject to existing laws and regulations, and if these laws and regulations were silent and did not prohibit certain acts otherwise prohibited by the Code, there was nothing that could be done by way of enforcing the Code’s provisions.

    Even if this position is, for the sake of discussion, accepted, I would take the impotence of the Code refers to only a situation where the unethical acts of the other side had already taken place, as in Batu Talam by-election, and notwithstanding the results favouring the BN winning candidate had been assisted by such acts in contravention of the Code, they (the results) could not be vitiated or set aside by reason of the contravention alone.

    But here in the case of Machap by election the contravention has not yet taken place.

    What Zahid Hamidi said was to serve prior notice that he and the Information Ministry intend to breach the Code, a breach that has not yet happened but is going to happen in the near future, which, if no preemptive step were now taken by the EC to stop the imminent breach, would imply that its own Code counts for nothing in the eyes of the EC, and that its better honoured in flagrant breach than in adherence. May as well throw away or burn the Code!

    The EC’s impotence in the face of such a challenge to its Code will undermine even its flimsiest pretension to neutrality, objectivity and independence required by the Federal Constitution. Isn’t this unconstitutional for the EC to do nothing in the face of a party telling it in advance that it is going to breach the Code and yet do nothing? Don’t make Machap by election a farce.

  11. Jeffrey, I love your rhetorics but they bear nothing to reality. Reality is that the EC is beholden to the executive. The opposition can’t win unless independent monitors are in place. If we have to rely on the discretionary and commonsense conduct of the EC, we’d all suffocate from holding our breath.

  12. If offenses are committed in contravention to the terms therein expressed then the High Court could have the election declared null and void – and a fresh election is then held.

    It is dirty politics as its worst. BN would in practice ‘identify’ the judge to hear the case, would not hesitate in getting witnesses in return for money and a night out on the town etc.

    The lawyers representing BN does not charge them for their services but would be promised lucrative government contracts – and their lead counsel perhaps given a title by the Agong on the advise of the Prime Minister. Care to throw in a few names??

  15. “Deputy Minister of Information Datuk Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said it was the ministry’s responsibility to explain the truth to the voters on issues highlighted so that they would not be swayed by the baseless allegations.”

    This goes to show how over the years the Info Ministry has degenerated into a propaganda arm of the political party running the government! It is not supposed to be that way.

    We must distinguish the government from the political party running it!

  16. Undergrad2,

    As alluded in earlier post, 32(b) of our Election Offences Act 1954 (EOA) merely provides that the election may be vitiated only if:

    (a) there has been non-compliance with the provisions of the written law relating to the conduct of the elections; and
    (b) the non-compliance has affected the result of the elections.

    So does non compliance of Code of Election Ethics (“Code”) constitute non-compliance with the provisions of the written law relating to the conduct of the elections?

    I believe the Code, formulated by the EC to regulate the behaviour of politicians and political parties during the election period is, according to EC secretary Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar, “a reference point only based on laws, which are already in place”.

    The Code was distributed after acceptance by government and timed with the passing of EOA’’s amendments.

    The crux of the question is whether in these circumstances you would consider the Code – described by EC Secretary as “a reference point based on laws, which are already in place”, necessarily a “written law” itself within meaning of 32(b) EOA, when the Code itself has never been passed in parliament as law?

    Tell me how are you going to argue that the Code to be breached by Zahid Hamidi is somehow a ‘written law’ relating to the conduct of the elections? I’d like to know.

  18. Let’s face it. All our previous elections have not been free or fair.

    Sure, you are allowed to go place your votes but everything else is stacked against the opposition. The blatant use and abuse of government facilities, the arm twisting of the media, the exorbitant spending by the government beyond election law limits, the “acceptance” of “donations” (remember the RM 100 million unpaid bills?), the short campaign periods, only ceramahs and no public rallies, phantom voters, revision of electoral boundaries etc etc.

    The elections commission just turns a blind eye, their inaction seen as favouring the government. The docile public are hapless and just accept things as they are. What can they do? Has the playing field ever been level since the early years of our independence?

    The way our elections are being conducted ensures success after success for the favoured party with only the occasional paltry success for the other.The next GE will sadly have the same end results, another landslide, albeit a smaller one. The constituencies are just stacked in favour of one party. Period. The Opposition can garner 50% of the votes but still at best can win only 20 to 30 seats. Thats all. That’s the reality.

    Many other third world countries are lucky as they are more democratic and fair than we are. And their people will not stand for any nonsense. They rise and fight.

  19. It is true elections are yet to be held and the statement by the EC chairman is not a ground for declaring an election yet to be held, a contravention of any law and the results declared “null and void” by the High Court.

    But surely the statement that the Info Ministry could respond as if it is the propaganda arm of the political party running the government is erroneous under our Constitution.

    If government property is being used by BN to ensure their party’s victory, this is a wrong that could be addressed by reference perhaps to some other laws. But I agree it is not a ground later that could be used to have the results declared null and void. It is not an electoral offense as defined by the Electoral Offenses Act.

  20. We all know that the electoral process has never been free and fair in Malaysia.

    Even when there have been clear offenses committed under the Election Act, the limited resources available to an opposition candidate has acted to prevent these from being brought to court. Secondly, even if there are grounds per se to have the results declared null and void it would be difficult to find a High Court who is prepared to do so.

    The High Court judge who always declared the loss suffered by a BN candidate null and void was later elevated to the position of CJ although he was seen fraternizing with a member of the legal fraternity in NZ.

  21. I fully agree with Zahid on informing the voters on the truth regarding opposition, how they have time and time again raise up issues such as AP’s, corruptions and good governance only to be ignore by the ruling BN party, Zahid will certainly have mountains of tasks to tell more and more lies to cover up the current government’s inability to address Malaysians issues.

  22. what integrity in Abdullah’s administration are u talking about UNcle Kit? Did he or did he not just bought a MANSION in PERTH purportedly worth RM60mil? Why should Abdullah care abt integrity when the whole issue stops there.

  23. What you have 91% mandate in the parliament, these are the so called privileges. You can do anything you want and nobody is going to do anything about it, because they can’t. When you have 91% mandate, everything you said must be the truth, because the oppositions is clearly wrong. Why? Because opposition parties lies and the government does not. What are you? You think that we will be that stupid to listen to you, just because you are the Ministry of Information? Lies are lies and they are a pack of lies every part of this country, and the citizens can see for themselves how good the cuurent government is? Save your breath! BN is not going to get my vote!

  25. “Deputy Minister of Information Datuk Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said it was the ministry’s responsibility to explain the truth to the voters on issues highlighted so that they would not be swayed by the baseless allegations.”

    This here is a public admission that the Info Ministry has always been used as a propaganda arm of Barisan – and guess who pays for it if not the taxpayers!

  26. Now BN is using the information ministry to counter lies by the oppositions. When are they going to use the Ministry of Defense if perhaps one day they need to silence the majority? But what surprise there is? UMNO will do anything to stay in power. By the time election date is near, if UMNO feels it is likely to lose, all hell will break lose! Abdullah then imposed marshall law in the country to avoid any general election in near term and continue to stay in power. We have another dictactor in the making.

  27. The country’s Armed Forces are also supposed to be neutral – but are they? The Malay regiment who controlled the streets of KL during the first day of the race riots in 1969 were trigger happy when dealing with certain people – and not others.

    The Police Riot Squad when dealing with issues of public order have in the past been biased – and still are.

  28. Don’t you feel as if BN is behaving like the proverbial fox and treating the government resources like the henhouse?

    Everytime the fox gets hungry for a meal, it leaves its guardpost and sneaks into the henhouse.

    The public doesn’t even know a thing because the hens disappear feathers and all much like the way a submarine goes under the waves!

    Well, if we want to eradicate the poaching, we must not trust BN to guard the henhouse in the next GE.

  30. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi says his Information Ministry will counter all issues, including personal matters of national, state and local leaders, raised by the Opposition in the run-up to the Machap by-election. “Personal issues and allegations on certain leaders are disheartening. I advise Machap voters not to be taken in by DAP speakers harping on personal and private matters”, he added.

    Why pick on DAP speakers? Isn’t it your ex premier/president of BN, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad who brought up personal issues and allegations about present premier and his family’s RM60 million home in Perth, Australia?

    Who is the real Opposition whose recent “ceramah” criticising his successor for his alleged poor management of the nation’s economy and failure to tackle the rising crime rate, crooked bridge, cronyism, corruption etc was in family club in Kulai, Johor, before 500 people where a dozen school children beat on their kompangs followed by a lion dance and silat presentation?

    Why doesn’t Zahid Hamidi mobilize Information Ministry, RTM and all national media against TDM?

    All Opposition need to say in Machap to BN Rival is – I didn’t say it, ask your ex president, the revered ex premier.

    With all the scandals relating to murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu, RM5 million for release of detainees under emergency ordinance, allegations on ex ACA chief, deputy minister, there is enough political fodderm, and Opposition need not have to say much.

    Actually we shouldn’t stop Zahid Hamidi from bringing the Information Ministry’s propaganda machine into the picture because the more they spin the more they will get entangled in their own web of lies and contradictions.

    Saudara Kit Siang you should, for a change, welcome rather than criticize Zahid Hamidi’s involving the Information Ministry. They did all the time anyway. No difference. Only this time the Deputy Minister openly admitted it. But it is a different world now. When they “overkill” they will only hurt themselves.

  32. One can obviousl see why the dangers of the confusion of the different roles of branches of government and institutions here.

    But to me, its the core of why they cannot see the inherent conflicts of different ideas. For example, the NEP and corruption are inherently intertwined and cannot be rid of without the other. The idea that the NEP can be better implemented is a myth. Tolerance of the NEP is tolerance of corruption.

    Another one is the role of religion and state power. Its the root of the erosion of the secularity and supremacy of our constitution and federal court.

    There is no way to prevent the abuse of power in government without recognizing that inherently its the confusion of ideas that is the root of the problem..

  33. Show the video recordings of the racist remarks made in the UMNO general assembly in Machap to remind the people what UMNO and BN really is. There are so many examples of blatant corruption and crime committed by UMNO and its puppets that will simply overwhelm whatever the “information ministry” tries to mislead the public

  34. Distribute CDs covering the serious issues of the nation which are simply too numerous to list here. Include pictures of the mansions and luxury properties owned by UMNO politicians and its puppets. Oh yes, that should include AAB’s 60mil mansion in Perth, his yacht, jet, etc

  36. the govt is umno. umno is the govt. the ministry is for umno n not the rakyat.

    retracting the statement is useless when we know they can say one thing and do another. their aim is to foll the rakyat for as long as they can to plunder the nation and cover their misdeeds.

  37. just show them the many evidences and non-reply to allegations made against their leaders all over msia and show them that’s how the govt cover up the blantant plunderings and misuse of rakyat’s funds. Need not be confined to just Machap area. Tell them that a win in Machap for the opposition will send a clear warning to the govt that we can indeed make a change if we want to. So dont play a fool with us.

  39. It is not so much the blatant abuse of Govt. facilities to promote the BN’s selfish party interest as these have been practised overtly in the past but the arrogance to voice this out openly now that should be the main cause of worry. It signals the “middle finger in your face” to the public that the BN could do what they want now. And more troubling is the fact that this is most likely done with the tacit approval of the top. Otherwise, this ikan bilis Dty Minister would not be so bold as to make such an incriminating statement.

    Or maybe, he epitomises TDM’s description of the half past six Cabinet? Either way we are screwed.

  40. WELCOME TO MALAYSIA DARUL KORUP
    Pak Lah ini tidak mampu menangani masalah rasuah dan politik wang ini dalam keadaan kegagalan beliau mengawal menteri-menteri dan pemimpin tinggi negara ini termasuklah kes rasuah RM 5juta yang melibatkan Timbalan Menteri Keselamatan Dalam Negara, Dato’ Johari Baharum baru-baru ini…Tidak cukup jika kita menukar pemimpin sahaja tetapi keseluruhan kabinet kerajaan yang menerajui keadaan yang bermasalah ini harus diganti dengan arus kebangkitan rakyat secara kolektif semasa pilihan raya umum nanti.

  41. the government now thinks – the government money is their ah gong (granpa) money. Use as they see fit.

    Countries like Hong Kong keep saying it as “people’s money”.

    The BN is very desperate. Dig here dig there to build highways, etc. All very franctic. Sign of election is near within 1 year’s time?

  42. “There is no way to prevent the abuse of power in government without recognizing that inherently its the confusion of ideas that is the root of the problem..” Big Joe

    Your assessment is too optimistic and concern rather misplaced. It is because of this kind naivety that has allowed corrupt politicians to have their way.

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