BN uses threats to get rural votes, says NGO

A youth activist speaks of abandoned water and electricity projects in Sabah and Sarawak.

PETALING JAYA: My Changemakers, a youth activist organisation, has accused the government of virtually threatening to withhold water and electricity supplies to rural folk of Sabah and Sarawak unless they vote Barisan Nasional.

The NGO’s chief coordinator, Adam Fistival Wilfrid, told a press conference today that this was evident in the many apparently abandoned water and electricity projects in rural areas in the two states.

To provide an example, he spoke of a trip he made last August to the Betong division of Sarawak.

“We saw three electric poles with nothing attached, no wires, and no transformers,” he said.

“We also saw pipes along the road which were not connected to anything. This is a sort of threat, whereby if you don’t vote for Barisan Nasional you don’t get electricity and water.”

It was as if the government was telling the people it was capable of providing water and electricity supplies but would do so only if they continued to vote BN into office, he said.

He alleged that the Sarawak Government was abusing the RM24 billion ringgit that was available to it for the development of rural areas.

Adam is one of two well known student activists who joined PKR today. The other is Fahmi Zainol. Both are studying at Universiti Malaya.

My Changemakers’ main work is to educate the public on their rights as voters.