Sibu Ibans demand ‘election money’

Sibu Election Watch says the Ibans from three long houses were promised RM400 after the state polls.

KUCHING: Some 100 angry Ibans turned up at the Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) office in Sibu demanding that they be paid the balance of RM400 each which was promised to them for supporting the party’s candidate in the April 16 state election.

According to the Sibu Election Watch (SEW), the natives were allegedly given RM100 as upfront payment before voting day and promised another RM400 after the election.

SEW representatives who rushed to the SUPP Sibu office, upon hearing of the payoff yesterday, witnessed Ibans from at least two longhouses – Rumah Chandi and Rumah Pasang – being paid the “balance” of RM400 each.

According to a SEW statement, the Ibans from Rumah Ujang longhouse had not yet collected their amount.

The Ibans said that they were promised the money by SUPP election agents as well as the tuai rumah (longhouse chiefs).

“We saw one of the residents from Rumah Chandi distributing a stack of RM100 bills to the longhouse folk ,” SEW said.

An Iban voter from Rumah Ujang, who spoke to SEW, said that the natives had got into a quarrel with their tuai rumah when they were not paid the RM400 after polling day.

“The tuai rumah hit back, saying that some people had voted for DAP and did not deserve to get the RM400 balance,” said SEW.

Alleging money politics, SEW also quoted another Iban, known only as Robin, who gave them a letter expressing the natives’ anger with their tuai rumah Mador Anak Rendah.

In the letter signed by “Disgruntled Voters”, the Sungai Rasau voters had expressed their “deep regret” at Barisan Nasional and SUPP for failing to deliver on their election promises.

Pointless reporting to police

According to the letter, on election eve the voters were given RM100 each and later promised RM400 if the candidate wins in the election.

They dismissed the idea of a lodging a police report, saying that it was pointless doing so.
“It is no point doing so since the police will not act on the reports,” the statement quoted voters as saying.