Opposition slams 3-in-1 by-elections
Mar 4, 09 6:00pm
Malaysiakini
The decision to hold three separate by-elections on the same day showed the Election Commission was biased in favour of the government, charged veteran opposition leader Lim Kit Siang.
“If more proof is needed about the lack of independence on the part of the election body, this is one. There is no earthly reason for coinciding three by-elections,” Lim told AFP.
Lim said the opposition, which lacks funds and other resources, would be overstretched if it had to campaign for a constituency in Sarawak along with polls in Perak and Kedah – all slated to be held on April 7.
“Three by-elections on the same day makes it difficult for the opposition to campaign effectively. But it is convenient for the ruling Barisan Nasional which has the money, media and government machinery,” he said.
By-election a referendum for Perak
Two of the elections were called after the death of the incumbents. The third seat became available after the resignation of an assemblyman who was accused of bigamy.
Analysts say the polls are seen as a referendum on the ruling BN coalition, which wrested control of Perak in February after the opposition alliance was hit by four defections.
The BN suffered two morale-sapping parliamentary by-election defeats following last year’s general elections, where the opposition seized control of five of Malaysia’s 13 states and a third of parliamentary seats.
The elections are also a chance for the opposition alliance to re-assert itself after the loss of Perak, which triggered calls for opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s replacement.
(2) April 7 For Batang Ai State By-election
March 04, 2009
Bernama
KUCHING, March 4 (Bernama) — Polling for the Batang Ai state by-election here will be held on April 7, simultaneously with the polls for the Bukit Gantang parliamentary seat in Perak and Bukit Selambau state seat in Kedah.
Election Commission chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof said today nomination was fixed for March 29, like for the other two seats. Notice of the writ would be issued on Friday.
The seat fell vacant following the death of incumbent Datuk Dublin Unting Ingkot, the Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) vice-president, on Feb 24.
Abdul Aziz said that after considering several factors, the EC felt that the Sarawak EC officer was ready for the by-election and it was timely to hold the by-elections simultaneously to avoid a long campaigning period.
An allocation of RM400,000 had been approved for the by-election, he told reporters after chairing a two-hour meeting to set the polling date.
A total of 24 polling centres would be opened at schools, longhouses, kindergartens and government premises while 201 workers would be deployed, he said adding that Batang Ai had 8,006 registered voters comprising 7,963 ordinary and 43 postal voters.
Abdul Aziz said the EC had also agreed to set up an election campaign enforcement team led by an enforcement officer and comprising a police officer, a local authority representative representatives of the candidates to monitor the campaigning besides allowing Malaysia For Free and Fair Election (Mafrel) to act as observers in the by-election.
Dublin won the Iban-majority seat in the state election in May 2006, beating Nicholas Bawin Anggat of Sarawak National Party (Snap) by 806 votes, and was appointed state Assistant Sports and Agriculture Minister.
One does not need a B.A. degree to see that the election commission is biased in their decision.
What can we expect from a government which did what they did in Perak ? Ask Tengku Razaleigh.
Surely PR know that is coming.
What else do PR expect? Three buy elections on three different days? Come on!
Furthermore, do PR top guns expect to be welcome with open arms into Sarawak? Don’t be surprised if they are banned from entering Sarawak.
I wouldn’t call it badly biased. But I do believe that EC should develop a set of principles by which it decides on the timing of each by-elections so that people will stop accusing it of partiality.
Well, Pakatan handled one massive general election back in March 8 and came out fairly well. With the people’s support, it can do so again. The target must be – 3 to Pakatan, 0 to BN.
Let’s all chip in.
But in the meantime, what do you expect Pakatan to do? Complain la. Keep up the pressure. Every political sen counts.
Look at the bright side. With so many people lay off recently, I feel more people will have more free time and their anger will transmit votes to PAKATAN…
Have a think of it folks..
Wonder how many police will be deploy to the 3 Election side ?
Election at KT already use so many policeman..
You will see more crimes will happen on the elction day as the police is on duty on that day. More traffic jam as more road block and checking.
Based on the results of last year’s general election, it is clear that Pakatan Rakyat had made much more significant gains in Peninsular Malaysia than in Sabah & Sarawak.
In addition, BN did take quite a beating, losing more parliamentary seats in the peninsular, but was still able to form a federal govt, thanks to stronger wins in Sabah & Sarawak.
Thus, if Pakatan Rakyat’s resources are badly stretched to the limit because of having to campaign simultaneously in three by-elections, it’s probably best to focus more on Kedah & Perak.
why can’t PR start an online fund raising drive.
but PR must be sure to release all complete details
of funds raised so that people will have more
confidence that PR is not going to turn out like
a corrupt bn.
EC choosing of date i.e. after the UMNO AGM clearly showed that they are biased and in favour of BN. EC choosing of the same date for all the 3 by-elections re-confirmed that they are biased and are no longer neutral. This is a general perception of an ordinary Malaysian citizen. They behaved, acted and reasoned stupidly. It is a clear cut of biaseness. Even if I am an UMNO supporter although they acted in favour of UMNO/BN to which I am thankful and glad that they are on UMNO side, but their stupidity will result in a very negative view of the general public on UMNO/BN and will be one of the causes of the impending UMNO/BN’s downfall.
why not just ignore sarawak for the time being?
focus on the other two.
who knows if bn wins sarawak the
the fella might just fall down dead
the next week.
Yeah the EC is definitely biased and has been for a long time.
Based on the Perak ongoing saga, I think enough sentiments have been swayed for a win in both the 2 peninsular seats and PR should focus more in East Malaysia.
For the next GE, it is more important to focus on Sabah and Sarawak and a win in Batang Ai will be a big boost for the state elections.
http://malaysiawatch4.blogspot.com/2009/03/malaysiakini-and-fairer-elections.html
yes the ec is biased. so be it.
no one is surprised. the courts
are biased and impartial as well.
focus on the two that PR can win. forget about
sarwak if resources are over stretched.
a bird in hand is worth more than two in the bush.
let bn try all their dirty tricks. it makes victory
all the more sweeter.
http://sloone.wordpress.com/2009/03/04/french-newspaper-reveals-identity-of-altantuyas-alleged-assassins/
Dear YB,
I think you already know that in Sarawak, the potential for electorate fraud is a lot easier and higher.. We need the indelible ink in Sarawak on April 7.. Why? Read my blog here
http://shiokguy.blogspot.com/2009/03/sarawak-needs-indelible-ink.html
Regards
Shiok Guy
can you imagine what murderers these police are?
an indian man being beaten to death in a police station.
this is the act of very wicked people.
are the police are still trying to cover up what has
happenned? disgusting.
plain sickening. the young indian man was tortured
in a malaysian police station and beaten to death.
simply appalling. what kind of people are the police?
i think the police are utterly murderous.
“Wonder how many police will be deploy to the 3 Election side?”
Going by the last example at KT, here is a wild guesstimate:
No of personnel: 3,376*3 = 10,128
Total cost**: RM15.2m *3 = RM45.6m
**of which total CANOPY rental cost = RM18.0m
(on top of already covered food and accommodation costs of RM13.5m)
“Imagine Power To The People” John Lennon.
This is exactly how UMNO will try to keep winning elections.
They are totally incorrigible.
But I have the strange feeling….many good rich souls will help PR on financial matters….indirectly… .helping millions of Malaysians.
I just came back from Sarawak, I believe they are begining to ask plenty of questions which BN’s component over there could not give a straight answer. I can sense the mood is changing, just like KT, follow Anwar’s advice, take the cash, after all it is your money but know who to vote. Maybe this should be PR’s slogan!!!
YB., I read the sign; it is the Will of Heaven. N would be the last of this regime!! So take comfort.
The police, AG, EC, MACC and judiciary are UMNO’s men is a well-known fact in Malaysia.
Had the Bkt Lanjan seat been declared vacant after the Helmi Malik affair, its by-election would also be on April 7…. making it 4 on the same day. That’s how biased the EC is today
Uncle Kit,
The country is going down the drains. The system stinks.
1. The politician cannot be trusted. They milk the rakyat dry.
2. The police are dogs to these corrupted politician.
3. The judges are impartial in their decision and even highly publicised case like the “lingam” scandal can be brush aside now.
4. The doctors can be made to fabricate evidence. A good example is the Kugan case.
5. Human Rights. It have never existed in Malaysia
We are a laughing stock to the world. I hope we get deleted from the Human Rights seat at the UN.
Dear All,
This is the facts of political life for opposition in Malaysia. But then again, you can also safely say that this type of impediment exists everywhere. The incumbent government will definitely work out strategies in such a way that the opposition won’t be having things their way. It existed in Singapore for all that matter where opposition candidates faced insurmountable tasks trying to get things done.
The only consolation amid all the bad news for opposition is that maybe the rakyat will cast a few more sympathy votes to them. That could be the tipping point.
Even Batang Ai voters know this. But it does not matter actually.
In 308, Batang Ai was won by BN by by about eight hundred votes. Given PR momentum, it should also win Batang Ai even with odds stacked against it. The issue is the margin of victory especially the rural voters in Sabah and Sarawak to convince them they are the key to changing the entire Federal Govt.
A big margin would convince many voters change is possible but even a decent margin of a few hundred votes bring possibilities. If the margin is in excess of a thousand votes, I think Sabahan will be convinced they can change the Federal Govt with their Sarawak cousins.
So the magic number that PR should go for is 1000 vote margin win. Get that and Sabahan will be convinced to vote with PR for they next by-election which in turn will bolden Sarawakian in the state election.
PR, nothing comes easy but, when you are placed as an underdog, Victory is sweeter. We have done it KT, we can do it in Batng Ai.
The mood is there for a change, take advantage of it, it is a right time to move to higher ground in Sarawak and Sabah.
In a democratic system like Malaysia, there is no way that the Governing parties can stop ‘People Power’ for too long. History has proven again and again. The mood is definitely at the ‘mode of change’. Keep it up!!
No point moaning about it. The rest of us can help – whether it is online or in person at specific locations. Start a fundraiser. Raise money from the Klang Valley which has more affluent supporters.
Online fund raising?…mmmm…sounds good
Ever played in a football match whereby the referee, linesmen and match officials all openly display their support for your opponents by making foul calls against your team? Well, that’s what PR is facing in the coming 3 by-elections. Someone will have to just shoot the referee, linesmen and match officials to make the match a fair one.
308 was no fluke. 308 was not meant to be a punishment for umno merely. 308 was not meant to be a simple voters’ display of displeasure. 308 means change. Permanent change. 308 marks the start of change. The momentum for change has not stopped since then. Two subsequent by-election results are proof that that people want change.
And umno is now committing a somewhat elaborate and prolonged political suicide. Death of the party is a certainty. Prolonging the process will bring no benefit to the country. But they are still in power and hence at the present moment they still able to dictate the direction of the game.
The incident in perak however indicates to me that they are losing grip on that ability of theirs to dictate the game. After the previous 11 general elections, all trumped up election emotions and sentiments eventually settled to normality. GE12 is different. None of the election issues and emotions has settled. It appears as if none of them will ever go away. And more issues are being created by umno.
Anwar spoke of defections last. Eventhough he has the number he did not actually put the plan into effect. He chosed the legal avenue of a throwing a no-confidence vote which badawi found a way to chicken out. The events in perak now is proof that anwar has the wisdom, sense and foresight of a real leader. He must have foreseen the mess that gaining political control by defections could bring. What a contrast to najib and gang – all of whom are blind, power crazy and super greedy.
JUMP KATAK JUMP.
DIE KATAK DIE.
All the recent actions made by the tainted institutions, judiciary, police, EC and MACC betrayed their neutrality.
The question of asking for proof. There is a Chinese say, “IF I introduce a bride, do I need to show her internal organs, to prove she is a woman!”
[deleted]
if the 3 frog were recognized as state assembly by sultan perak
then why they want to fight in court now?
dismissed 3 frog become court case. mean at the moment
BN cant claim they have majorities to form state goverment yet !
if 3 frog lose in court case. will state assembly to be dissolve?
this mean sultan appoint BN goverment is absoluted illegal from begining
so i bet 3 frog will win in court case because the absoluted court will follow sultan decision to prevent conflict
Nizar (self-proclaimed MB) is a traitor to the majority…. The future and the prosperity of Malaysia are at stake. ……
Discriminatory policies, favouring a particular community, would be introduced if DAP/PR took over the Federal Government…The immediate polices include:-
1. Abolish Bumiputra” and non-Bumiputra
2. Diminish the special rights
3. Establish new positions in the Cabinet to secure its nepotism
policy (Senior Minister, Mentor Minister etc).
4. 2 posts for Deputy PM will be introduced. Of course, DAP will
get one.
5. DSAI will be the first and the last PM from the majority ethnic.
6. Revise the military policy. Set the highest rank, Majority could
attain.
7. PM will then declare that Malaysia is not ready for a prime
minister of a majority race
8. etc etc etc
This is a non-exhaustive list….
This cintanegara is either joking or telling rubbish.
Say what you want, fact is that Msia is going backwards economically, politically, if continually rule by BN.
It’s unfortunate that one of the people who had posted their comments here (not me) has been taken in by the ‘nightmarish’ scenario painted by UMNO, should PR take control of our federal govt, which UMNO would of course blame mostly on DAP.
A very big part of those ‘nightmares’ will either face great resistance or could not happen at all because some would require major changes or ammendments in the Federal Constitution.
Is it possible for DAP alone to procur the two thirds or more majority to pull this off?
Since when is Nizar a self-proclaimed MB?
Wasn’t he voted into office by the people’s mandate in the last general election?
If Nizar is really a traitor to the majority, why wasn’t he voted out of office by the majority, instead of being forced out by the political manoeuvrings of UMNO through its control of the more dominant federal govt?
It’s more like the future & prosperity (by money politics) of UMNO are at stake here…
Do not need to reply this cintanegara, because he is ‘orang gila’, he do not care about the future of this country Malaysia?
They just want the money drop from the sky without hardwork and claim they came here first when actually orang asli are the first here long before they are here. And they treat the orang asli second class or worse than second class.
And they want to claim the land of Sabah and Sarawak too.
Do not need to reply this cintanegara, because he is ‘orang gila’.
:| Hmm.
Question to new EC Chair: What happened to that plentiful supply of indelible ink the :( old EC Chair Rashid bought last year for the GE12 to ink the voters’ fingers? Have you, new EC Chair, recouped the money and paid it back yet to the poor hardworking rakyat who are now waiting for the recession to hit them in their pockets like Thor’s thunderbolts?
Or is this allocation of the rakyat’s RM400,000 for Kuching’s Batang Ai buy-election all lip-smackingly tasty :( new dosh to the EC?
WE SAY YEAH! & NO TO ISA! :P AND HARIS FOR AG & RPK FOR IGP! GO FOR DSAI FOR PM & LKS FOR DPM & KIND WAN AZIZAH FOR HOME MINISTER.
2009 Resolution: Seek out all garbage and recycle or dispose post haste for a healthier life and planet!