The downside of BN’s victory

Najib's new cabinet has been labelled as the "same old thing". Let us also hope that the petrol price will stay the same too.

COMMENT

For the low-wage earner and the average man-in-the-street trying to make ends meet, the worst thing about Barisan Nasional emerging victorious in the 13th general election is that there is no reduction in the petrol price.

Although the low-income group look forward to the annual BR1M handout at the beginning of the year, that is a pittance compared to the daily rising cost of living.

BN leaders have mentioned that the RM500 cash aid will be gradually increased to RM1,200 but there is silence on this matter now.

A friend of this columnist who is a despatch rider with a law firm in KL (earning RM1,700 per month) and with two small children to feed had complained that he feared that the prices of food and sundries will be going up soon.

He also mentioned that perhaps the 6% tax for the prepaid mobile phone calls will be levied before long.

Certainly the low-wage earners will be facing a tough time if prices of goods continue to soar, in which case it will mean that BN’s victory will not be a cause of joy for the low-wage earner.

That is the reason why PAS’ Changkat Jering state assemblyman, Nizar Jamaluddin stressed that it must be made known to the rakyat that BN had failed to obtain the popular vote and the purpose of the ‘Black 505′ rallies is to let the public be informed of this matter.

“In Perak too, there were state seats which PAS lost wherein the number of spoilt votes were higher than BN’s winning majority and we are investigating this issue,” noted Nizar. Appended below is the information from him pertaining to those state seats:

1. N20 Lubok Merbau – PAS lost by a majority of 53 votes. The number of spoilt votes was 178.

2. N23 Manjoi – PAS lost by a majority of 132 votes. The number of spoilt votes was 705.

3. N51 Pasir Panjang – PAS lost by a majority of 304 votes. The number of spoilt votes was 466.

“There were instances too wherein the number of votes do not tally with the total stated on Form 14 and we will be bringing up these discrepancies in our election petitions. There were also cases wherein the Form 14 was not available at the polling centre and this is very bad,” mentioned Nizar.

(Form 14 is the form which lists out the total number of ballots issued, the number of votes cast, the number of spoilt votes and the number of votes secured by each candidate. This form is a check and balance mechanism which can help to minimise hanky-panky as the counting agent representing the contesting parties are required to sign on this form. All these procedures fall under the purview of election laws.)

The election petitions will have to be filed within 21 days after the results of the general election are gazetted this month.

Currently the Pakatan Rakyat elected representatives in Perak are in the midst of gathering and collating the information pertaining to six state seats for filing the election petitions. The said seats are the three mentioned above plus Selama, Kamunting and Changkat Jong.

No moral victory for BN

Nizar informed this columnist that in the recent Black 505 Rally in Perak, Pakatan leaders had highlighted this matter to the Perakians who attended the rally.

“Winning 44.4% of the popular vote in Perak shows that the BN state government in Perak does not command the confidence of the majority. The same goes for the BN federal government at national level.

“BN leaders keep harping that the democratic process is fair and the winner is declared going by the majority of seats and not by the majority of votes and this is simply nonsensical and illogical. All this means that the BN Perak state government and the BN federal government do not have the moral victory,” commented Nizar.

This just goes to show that although BN is the victor, they are not chosen by the majority of the voters.

“Therefore the BN federal government is a minority government because they have a lesser number of the popular vote,” said PAS’ former Kuala Selangor MP, Dzulkefly Ahmad who lost by a majority of slightly more than 400 votes.

Nizar also commended the rakyat for the smooth voting process and advised everyone to stay calm and not to fall prey to any racial statements made by irresponsible parties.

“Our people are matured and will not respond to any provocation and that is the reason why there is still peace and harmony in this nation,” added Nizar.

Dzulkefly commented that “Had the general election been truly free and fair, Malaysians today would be having a good and transparent federal government”.

Nevertheless, as the new BN federal government had just taken up their oath of office, let us hope for the best although Nizar has labelled the new cabinet as the “same old thing”. Let us also hope that the petrol price will stay the same.

Selena Tay is a DAP member and a FMT columnist.