Joseph Sipalan | Aug 17, 11
Malaysiakini
Postal vote manipulation has been a common practice in the military for many years – so it seems – now that more retired military personnel are speaking up.
Now, four ex-military personnel have confessed to committing election fraud – the same way an ex-army man said he did so earlier this month.
The four, who had served at army and air force bases across the country, say they marked thousands of postal votes in three separate general elections between 1978 and 1999.
The four – Major (Rtd) Risman Mastor, Kamarulzaman Ibrahim, Mohamed Nasir Ahmad and Mohd Kamil Omar – said they were ordered by their commanding officers to mark postal votes for the hundreds and thousands of personnel who were out in the field.
Their expose today is the second after an ex-army man came forward earlier this month, making a similar claim that he was ordered to mark postal votes for other personnel.
Kamarulzaman, who was a clerk working at the Terendak army camp in Malacca, said he was ordered to spend three days marking thousands of ballot papers during the 1986 general election.
The 53-year-old said he was given three pens of different colours, which he used alternately to sign the postal votes in the absence of the army personnel who were on their tour of duty.
“For example, I would use a blue pen to sign for one serviceman and a black pen to sign for his wife. I was also ordered to mark votes for the opposition,” he said at a press conference hosted at the PAS headquarters by the party’s youth wing.
When asked how many postal votes he signed, Kamarulzaman said he could not remember the exact number but was sure that it ran into the thousands.
“If you want to say how many, let’s just say my hand went numb (from signing the ballot papers). I basically voted for soldiers from all over the country.”
‘It was the wrong thing to do’
Kamil, a retired Air Force commando based at the Butterworth Air Force base, claimed he was offered a “reward” if he complied with the order to mark a box full of postal votes during the 1999 general election.
The 21-year veteran however refused to carry out the order, saying that he realised it was not right for him to mark ballots for his colleagues.
“They gave me a box, and expected me to mark all the ballots in 30 minutes. I realised it was wrong,” said the 49-year-old, adding that he has no idea what the “reward” was since he did not carry out the order.
Nasir, 50, who was a clerk based in Sandakan during the 1986 general election, said he and another colleague were told to split over 900 postal votes between them to be marked on behalf of their fellow soldiers.
He pointed out that being in the military, orders are orders and that soldiers were “not too bothered” about politics.
“Even after retirement, we didn’t care so much about politics. But when Bersih came about, we started to realise that what we did was not right,” he said.
Risman stressed that this practice went as far back as the 1978 general election, when he and nine others were ordered to go through around 200 sacks – each containing 10 postal votes – during his time at the Kampung Sawah army camp in Port Dickson.
“I did it just that one time… I don’t remember the figures but I believe there were about 10 (ballots) in each sack. In effect there were just 10 of us actually voting,” he said.
Widespread practice of election FRAUD during each past GE by BN
Which means BN used FRAUDULENT n ILLEGAL practices 2 stay in power
Want an RCI 2 investigate? Sue d illegal BN gomen?
The politically partisan EC did not want to weed out irregularities in the poll system. They should be sacked.
This is what Mamakthir meant by “a little” hanky panky, unlike some other countries like Zimbabwe.
Hi Kit,
Is it possible to study the modus operandi of this form of election fraud, to see how it can be negated, if possible. Interview these ex-army people. Note time date and place, and other details
Is there some way of neutralising it, or minimising it’s impact.
No point getting angry. We must get even.
We must change the tenant at Putrajaya, and GE 13 is our best chance. failure is not an option
Little hanky panky only. Just several hundred votes here and there. No problem at all. I mean look there are millions of voters in the country. So really it is a minute issue. Those army rigged army votes can’t change anything. Wont affect anything. Have no great effect and no significant impact. Umno won because umno won.
Of course dr mamak did not speak his mind in so many words. I did it for him. Perhaps he did not realise that the people could not be fooled these days. Not so easily anyway. We have the “first past the pole” election system. People understood well that a single vote more (or less) could decide finally the winner (or the loser). A few hundred votes here and there (all premarked to umno’s order) could serve as powerful secret albeit unlawful weapons to secure a favourable outcome for umno. This is especially true for closely matched constituencies.
This is gonna be mega bad news for umno. Bersih’s efforts are yeilding positive results. More good results will surface, I am sure. We support bersih because we respect agung and the constitution and therefore we want to be able to remove umno cleanly and legally from putrajaya come GE13.
Get more expose to save Malaysia
The BN like cancer of corruption spread from very bottom to the top in all government administration it became a culture
Come forward expose to save Malaysia
Another 5 years term to corruption BN Malaysia would be in adverse fate to survive
ln the eye of the Law, even if just 1 vote was solicited illegally, the whole process could be considered fraudulent
Can we cosider BN govt illegal ?
So they have been illegal all these while, milking the Rakyat dry
Ha ha ha ha ha
There is lots more than this.
The EC was switching the boxes..amd who paid for the extra ballot papers?
The root causes must be dealt with by RCI on EC with an Interim Good Governance Government IGGG with Joshua Y C Kong as the PM now.
Now a general want to involved into this picture
He condemn they betrayed and disloyalty to corruption government administrators
Question is this general betray our Federal Constitute laws help illegal voting for corrupted politicians?
Now a general want to involved into this picture
He condemned they betrayed and disloyalty to corruption government administrators
Question is this general betray our Federal Constitution laws help illegal voting for corrupted politicians?
Are he protect our country or the corrupted politicians?
Shameless low down son of a gun…who steal and won elections through tricks and treat…all exposed now.
Especially the 12th GE..Malaysians were confident to send the rouges and thieves packing…but they still govern with a so call small majority.
How proud they feel…than their thousands of planted false votes..finally worked when needed most.
And what’s left are unqualified idiots performing the bluffing game…they are good at.
People Power have risen to a height that frightened them and make them so nervous …that the govt. is on the defensive side for the past 2 years.
They blame the Opposition parties…..bluffing Malaysians.
Who is bluffing who?
Who is controlling the minds of his own race?
Who is the self declared champion of race and religion?
Why talk so big and yet keep defending?
CORRUPTIONS will be the driving force for People Power to act and get rid of these rouges and thieves.
Mahathir and his UMNO B started all the evil deeds..which he planted in for 22 years …and is still talking like the chief rouge proudly.
A party that hero worship a man who abandon his half Indian ancestors…certainly proven to be in desperate need for a smart leader to teach them how to rob and steal with no fear.
He has done it..and so after 22 years…thieves must fight on to save their own skins.
Besides our military n polis personnel, who else entitled 2 postal votes?
R RELA members entitled 2 postal votes?
Looks like UmnoB/BN sure win 1, got lots of postal votes 2 add 2 marginal seats 2 win by a small margin (NR benefited such illegal n fraudulent play in 1 of the GEs mah)
They may win through cheating….does not matter.
What matter most is more and more Malaysians do not respect or trust UMNO B anymore.
Forget those puppets…not important…just she shine boys.
It is now UMNO B against keDAILan….DAP and PAS…and right now…those who helped UMNO B and even Najib won at 12th GE are coming out to speak bravely..what they have done wrong to Malaysians.
The signs are so clear.
So let them win again by frauds and tricks.
For how long?
Forever?
The truly religious persons will finally tell the truth. Those who use religion for political gain should know that paper cannot contain fire.