The events unfolding in Tenang by-election in Johore again illustrated the huge odds those striving for positive change in Malaysia are up against. Not only were the police, Fire Departments, etc, that were mobilized to help ferry voters to the polling stations discriminating against those perceived to be opposition supporters and not deploying or deploying minimal help to perceived opposition strongholds, the wastepapers (terms I now use to refer to the MSM newspapers) and even the online news site the Malaysian Insiders failed to report this discrimination that was only reported by Malaysiakini (they deserve our support for true journalism) as you can see in the article reproduced below courtesy of Malaysiakini: Pakatan decries selective assistance to voters.
Reforms (positive changes) will not be easily achieved in Malaysia and those struggling against such odds really need the support of Malaysians and this is a SOS call to them to mobilize and help in whatever way they can to speed up this uphill battle:
Pakatan decries selective assistance to voters
Kuek Ser Kuang Keng
Jan 30, 11
4:50pm
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The day-long downpour in Tenang had caused flooding in many areas across this rural constituency in Johor, rendering several of the 12 polling stations inaccessible to voters.
Pakatan Rakyat complained that this had significantly reduced the turnout of Chinese voters, considered the 'vote bank' for the opposition.
According to them, more transportation facilities were deployed in Felda areas, which are BN strongholds.
"Why are there no boats to ferry the voters in Labis town, which is also flooded, but Felda gets all the police and fire department boats?" asked DAP publicity chief Tony Pua in a tweet message.
BN secured 80 percent of votes in the three Felda settlements in Tenang in the 2008 general election.
“The failure to provide sufficient boats and trucks, and distribute them evenly across all polling districts will severely tilt the outcome of this by-election.
"The police and army should not just provide their assistance to selective areas because the flood is everywhere in the constituency." he added when contacted by Malaysiakini.
'Opposition voters discriminated'
At least two polling stations - SMK Kamarul Ariffin and Kampung Paya Merah multi-purpose hall in Labis town - were inaccessible due to high water level.
The former is the polling station for Bandar Labis Tengah polling district while the other is polling station for Bandar Labis Timur polling district - both predominantly Chinese areas which were won by PAS in the last general election.
In addition, Johor DAP Youth chief Tan Hong Pin claimed that the army trucks that went into Chinese residential areas had refused to fetch voters whom they suspect were opposition supporters.
"It happened at Kampung Paya Merah," claimed Tan when contacted.
Johor DAP Wanita chief Chew Peck Choo also alleged that army trucks had selectively picked up voters based on their ethnicity.
"PAS supporters complained to me that the army trucks refused to pick up opposition supporters or were slow in picking them up," she told Malaysiakini.
Tenang Station is another Chinese-majority polling station, but this area was won by BN in 2004.
DAP Serdang MP Teo Nie Ching had openly decried that the turnout rate in Chinese areas reached only 20 percent at 1pm compared with 50 percent in the Malay-majority Felda settlements. The overall turnout rate at 1pm was 55.36 percent.
In her micro-blogging website Twitter, Teo posted several mobile numbers of DAP helpers and called on Chinese voters to contact them for transportation to get to their polling station.
"Urgent! Chinese voters turnout rate is very low. Pakatan candidate needs your vote, please called on your friends, relatives and neighbours to go and vote as soon as possible," she posted.
No suspension of polls, says EC
According to reports, Election Commission (EC) chairperson Abdul Aziz Yusof said there will be extension of the polling period.
Although some roads leading to the polling stations had been cut off by floods, government agencies are helping to fetch the voters with their heavy vehicles and boats, said Abdul Aziz.
He said that no polling stations will be closed.
Meanwhile, Johor PAS deputy commissioner and Tenang election director Dzulkefly Ahmad toldMalaysiakini that PAS is trying their best to mobilise their supporters to vote before polling comes to a close at 5pm.
"I have contacted EC and they said they will stick to their original plan."
PAS has yet to decide whether the polling should be called off, he said.
Asked whether the low turnout would jeopardise PAS' support, Dzulkefly said a low turnout of Chinese voters would benefit BN, but if Malay voters were affected than it would be an advantage to PAS.
"We are also working hand-in-hand with the EC to help get the voters to the polling stations."
Johor DAP chief Dr Boo Cheng Hau too was worried.
"We are worry about the low turnout of Chinese voters because they are our vote bank. We are doing our best to send four-wheel drive vehicles to fetch them.
"We also asked EC to inform the marine police and Civil Defence Department to send their boats and heavy trucks to fetch the voters," he said when contacted.
Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin had said earlier today that the floods might affect the coalition's chances of winning big.
Comments 1 to 15 of 15
dood Only Felda settlers and not Chinese townfolk get assistance to go to the polling station because everyone knows that all Felda settlers are poor and need government aid while all Chinese people are filthy rich, nevermind that the Felda settlers are living in bungalows in their own big plot of land and the Chinese are living in shoplots.
an hour ago · Report
tailek Pakatan, no point crying over spilt milk. Everybody knows the Govt machinery is selective when it comes to assisting their own supporters in Felda areas which is their fixed deposit. Felda settlers has been seduced by all the freebies especially during by-election time and even got more flood assistnace to get to the polling station. That is a given, so just accept the result and move on. Don't lose heart. The weather was kind to BN yesterday but it will not always be that way. BN may have won a battle in Tenang but they have not won the war yet. Better for Pakatan to prepare for the main GE coming up.
1 hours ago · Report
ahmike i feel like the "act of god" is already telling the voters becareful on who you vote. Every action has a equal reaction.
11 hours ago · Report
Anonymous_40f4 Every year billions of ringgit are pumped into DID for flood mitigation.Where does all the money go because the floods are always there?The Client @ agent and contractor become very rich,thats all.
13 hours ago · Report
Anonymous317_bd Anonymous, who owns the boats is not important. PK has also shown that if it does not favor them they will not do it. So don't pretend like BN is not fair. Clear point is calling all BN supporters names and vote selling and so on. Is this the way to win the rakyat ? The Opposition is no better than the BN, so let things be. In Selangor they wanted to ban the 1Malaysia slogan, they took down Najib's banner welcoming him, the did not allow use of a hall, and you still they are impartial ?
16 hours ago · Report
Black Mamba A responsible EC shoould have call off the election seeing the water level have risen to the height of a four wheel drive engine. Either BN is bloody sure of victory that it don't warrant an emergency. If this by election win for BN is an indicator of a larger snap poll, BN better hold on to thier horses as the Malaysian public has seen that they are using the govt machinery for their optimum advantage disregarding the non Malay electorates and it will certainly back fire when the state election is held again during GE13.
16 hours ago · Report
Onyourtoes Why no suspension of poll? Because it favours BN? Look, if PR is expected to win, I am sure the EC will suspend the poll and fight another day.
16 hours ago · Report
Kit Carson Aiyoho Mahyudin, looks like you can't get your 5000 majority...now you will say 'act of God' so you don't have to resign or perform hara kiri...
17 hours ago · Report
Anonymous Anonymous317_bd before you say anything in your post make sure you are certain who own those boats. Are those boats Government properties or BN properties? If BN own those boats what's credit is it to BN when everybody knows BN has more resources?So how is PR to provide boats to voters when it's neither the Government nor resource rich? corruption?If those boats are Government boats(which I think they are) then you have to ask what makes one area more Malaysia then another?"As though if you all had boats you will ferry BN supporters to the polls." Is it customary for you to accuse people for something that have not happened yet and may not happen at all?
17 hours ago · Report
pity him !!!!! To beat the bastards you need to be really prepared but alas you don't have the resources. So it's no use to bemoan nature's call to tilt the bastardly ways. Swallow the 'bullet' and prepare for GE.
17 hours ago · Report
penangmari I think the writer should ask the Pakatan fellows why PAS is not providing transport for its so called supporters? This is the normal trend in elections.
17 hours ago · Report
Anonymous317_bd ghkok, floods are a acts of God. Kindly don't tell the rakyat in your stupid post that PKR can solve floods like they have a direct line with the lord. You are a stupid person with a opposition mentality, make excuses for why your opponent is usless, but not why you are better. Pua , Going to lose go quietly la. After all if you cannot prepare to have boats run your voters to the polls , how can you help the rakyat if you win. So next best thing which the opposition have been doing all along is before losing start giving excuses why . As though if you all had boats you will ferry BN supporters to the polls.
17 hours ago · Report
penangmari I think the writer should ask Pakatan fellows why Pas is not providing transport to their so called supporters?
17 hours ago · Report
Thisia what is there to be so surprised of? as usual the "DOGS" just doing their jobs, so that they will get their "BONES" + "SHIT" once everything is over. So they will make sure that their masters can win in anyway.
17 hours ago · Report
ghkok Ok, 2 comments : 1. the pictures show flooding .. quite bad. After 53 years of BN rule, the residents of Tenang is still putting up with these floods. I know some people will say even US and australia floods. But US and Australia is experiencing unprecedented amounts of rainfall, never before encountered. Whereas in Msia, we are perpetually inundated with rain. It's nothing new. It has been raining like this since 53 years ago. AND YET, places like Tenang continues to flood. AND YET, people continue to vote BN (or so they say). AND YET, things remain the same ... irrigation and drainage never improved, no dredging of river, just like Sibu. 2. if the flood is as bad as what it shows in the photos, surely the RIGHT thing to do is to SUSPEND the by-election so as not to risk the lifes of voters, EC personnel, volunteers and rescuers, and everyone concerned. SURELY, LIFE is more important.
17 hours ago · Report
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