If DAP results are stained, what about GE13?

BN supporters who harp that DAP's CEC polls results should also take note that the same can be said of the GE13 results.

COMMENT

Much has been said about DAP’s CEC (Central Executive Committee) polls held in December last year due to a computer glitch causing a stain on the results.

This columnist since January had also been pushing the DAP top leadership to re-do the polls because when there is a stain on the results, it doesn’t look good.

But of course the thousand times bigger stain on the results is none other than what had happened in the 13th general election wherein the conduct of the polls overall leaves much to be desired where good governance, transparency and accountability are concerned.

Independent polls observer Pemantau claimed that there were suspicious incidents in a good number of seats they were monitoring. This claim by Pemantau was made in the recent People’s Tribunal for GE13 held from Sept 18 to 22 in Subang Jaya.

Pemantau chief, Yasmin Masidi informed the Tribunal that Pemantau monitored 51 seats and half of these had suspicious incidents. Yasmin reported to the Tribunal that these incidents included gift-giving and there were voters who were even asked to mark the ballot papers with the indelible ink because they were not given a pen.

An Orang Asal also gave testimony at the Tribunal wherein he confessed that he was paid RM20 to vote for BN with the remainder RM80 to be paid after voting but till today he has yet to receive the balance.

Said Norman Korig from Kuala Lipis, Pahang, “BN promised us that they will build roads and houses if we give them our support. One of the top BN leaders even threatened us that if we fail to vote for BN, the government’s medical services for us will grind to a stop but if we vote BN, we can get RM1,200 BR1M money.”

It is extremely amazing that there are still so many gullible people who in this day and age can still get taken in by BN’s promises.

Another witness, Abu Hussin Tamby who is the party representative for the candidate contesting the Air Limau state seat in Malacca informed the Tribunal that when he and two of his colleagues were in the Alor Gajah district police headquarters at around 3.15 pm on May 2 to deliver the advanced votes from Lubuk Cina, he saw around seven or eight Election Commission (EC) officers standing around a heap of ballot papers.

This particular district police station is the place where the advanced votes were kept.

“I saw around seven or eight people wearing the EC uniform standing around the ballot papers but without the ballot boxes. This shows that they must be doing the counting. I believe the votes are from the parliament seats of Alor Gajah and Masjid Tanah.

“I then went to make a police report at the Masjid Tanah district police station,” said Abu Hussin who also made a request to view the CCTV but his request was rejected without any reason being given.

Abu Hussin added that the police could not give him accurate replies except to say that any misdemeanor will be dealt with by the higher-ups.

Government’s moral duty

K Vasantha Kumar, PKR’s candidate for the parliament seat of Tapah reported that his campaign worker by the name of K Murugan had received a death threat instructing him to stop being a PKR campaign worker.

Said Vasantha, “RM100 vouchers and food were also distributed by BN’s people to the public. And on polling day itself, Orang Asal voters were prevented from voting. Before that, we in PKR were also stopped by the authorities from campaigning in the rural villages.”

Although nothing will come out of the People’s Tribunal, it is a clear indication that many shenanigans had occurred during the 13th general election and the government has a moral duty to look into the evidence presented at this said Tribunal.

“The EC should take cognizance of the evidence submitted by the witnesses at the People’s Tribunal and should strive to improve on their standard operating procedures to prevent electoral fraud especially where voter-registration is concerned,” said PAS Kota Raja MP, Siti Mariah Mahmud.

Hatta Ramli, the PAS Kuala Krai MP urged the EC to be responsible over all the shenanigans reported. He remarked that the testimony at the People’s Tribunal showed that the EC was not transparent in its standard operating procedures. EC also failed to be impartial and should look into the issues brought up by the witnesses.

“EC must not ignore the People’s Tribunal and the evidence presented therein because it affects the nation’s democratic image,” added Hatta.

Although GE13 will not be re-done, the present BN government elected into office has to bear the stigma of winning with a stain on the results.

BN supporters who harp that DAP’s CEC polls results are not valid due to the computer glitch should also take note that the same can be said of the GE13 results wherein many suspicious incidents and shenanigans too numerous to be mentioned here had taken place.

Therefore the saying thus holds true: By the measure that you measure out, the same will be measured to you again.

When BN’s supporters say DAP’s party polls are a sham, then what about the 13th general election?

Selena Tay is a DAP member and a FMT columnist.