Anwar Ibrahim |
- Thousands pack Kelana Jaya stadium for Pakatan rally
- In Pics: Pakatan’s mammoth Kelana Jaya rally
- U.S. congratulates Malaysia PM, notes concern about irregularities
- Good and bad news for BN
- 120,000 show of force at post-GE13 rally
- Undi Bangsa Malaysia menambah kepahitan BN
- ‘Bangsa Malaysia’ vote makes a bitter BN
- Election Fraud In Malaysia
| Thousands pack Kelana Jaya stadium for Pakatan rally Posted: 08 May 2013 10:48 AM PDT Some 50,000, mostly dressed in black, have packed the Stadium MBPJ while thousands others are trying to get in for a rally for free and fair elections organised by Pakatan Rakyat (PR) Stadium MBPJ in Kelana Jaya near here tonight. The evening shower caused traffic congestion but most of the crowd dropped off at the Kelana Jaya LRT station and walked to the stadium near the Subang Airport road. Among those speaking at the rally are opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and DAP strongman Lim Kit Siang. Anwar arrived after 10pm on a scooter and was greeted with loud roars that echoed through the stadium by the crowd who chanted “Kami Anak Malaysia”. Thousands dressed in black have packed the stands and also the football pitch in the stadium. “This is the beginning of a battle between the rakyat and an illegitimate, corrupt, and arrogant government,” the PKR de facto leader told the crowd. Traffic remains backed up around Kelana Jaya right up to the NPE toll plaza near Sunway
Anwar arriving to the rally on a scooter. – Picture taken from Facebook
Earlier PKR director of strategy Rafizi Ramli told the 50,000-odd crowd inside the stadium, “I am Malay, but I support Pakatan Rakyat.” Social media research group Politweet.org estimated the crowd size in and around the stadium at between 64,000 and 69,000, given that the stadium capacity is about 25,000. There has been no police presence around the stadium until now. In Marang, Terengganu, thousands are crowding PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang’s Masjid Rusila for another rally, reports PAS news portal Harakahdaily. Among those there are ex-Umno Selangor mentri besar Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib, whose defection to PAS had been one of the surprises in Election 2013. In Singapore, the Singapore Straits Times reported tonight that a group of over 200 Malaysians gathered at the Merlion Park to protest against what they claimed were rigged elections over the weekend. Dressed mostly in black, they were holding placards, with phrases such as “We Want Bersih (clean)” and “No To Racism”. One, translated from Mandarin, read: “We Are One Family”. The crowd appeared to be peaceful, with chants erupting occasionally. Participants told The Straits Times that the message for the gathering was spread spontaneously on Wednesday through social media. Many of them were not aware who started the protest, but said they received calls or messages from their friends, and decided to be a part of the event. |
| In Pics: Pakatan’s mammoth Kelana Jaya rally Posted: 08 May 2013 10:36 AM PDT
Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim (R) speaks during a rally in protest of the Sunday’s election results at a stadium in Kelana Jaya, outside Kuala Lumpur May 8, 2013. At least 40,000 supporters of Malaysia’s opposition held a rally near Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday to protest alleged vote fraud, with Anwar vowing to the crowds he would expose the cheating he says cost them an election win. |
| U.S. congratulates Malaysia PM, notes concern about irregularities Posted: 08 May 2013 10:00 AM PDT The White House on Wednesday congratulated Malaysia’s prime minister on his coalition’s election victory but urged the government to address concerns about election irregularities. “We note concerns regarding reported irregularities in the conduct of the election, and believe it is important that Malaysian authorities address concerns that have been raised,” White House spokesman Jay Carney said in a statement. “We look forward to the outcome of their investigations.” Prime Minister Najib Razak’s Barisan Nasional coalition extended its 56-year rule but recorded its worst-ever election performance in Sunday’s election. His party won 133 seats in Malaysia’s 222-member parliament, seven fewer than in 2008 and short of the two-thirds majority it had hoped for. Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s People’s Alliance won 89 seats, a big increase from seven in 2008. Anwar has said the result was tainted by electoral fraud and scheduled a large rally in Kuala Lumpur to press for electoral reforms. The Malaysian government rejected charges of electoral fraud and has accused Anwar of seeing to cause unrest with the rally. The election was one of the most closely contested in Malaysia in years and Najib is expected to face a party leadership challenge that may cost him his leadership by the end of the year because of the weak showing. He had hoped to strengthen the ruling coalition’s majority in parliament with the help of a strong economy, reforms to roll back race-based policies and $2.6 billion in spending programs benefiting poor families. Najib is now seeing as having a difficult time in persuading his allies to press ahead with economic reforms and the phasing out of policies favouring ethnic Malays over other groups. |
| Posted: 08 May 2013 09:58 AM PDT While BN basks in the good news that it has 'won' the 13th general election, I'm delighted to see how much bad news this crooked, lying regime has to face in its moment of 'triumph'. In other words, though my hopes have been dashed that some kind of miracle might occur to rid Malaysia of this chronic curse this time around, I'm absolutely elated at the fact that it was such a pyrrhic victory for Najib Abdul Razak and his gang of nasties.
And way beyond pathetic is Najib's immediate blaming of the Chinese Malaysian community for his failure to steal back the two-thirds majority he and his accomplices so desperately craved. In achieving over 50 percent of the vote, Pakatan Rakyat clearly attracted a great deal of support from Malaysians of every race and creed, especially in most of the relatively enlightened and prosperous urban centres. Paradoxically, it was the very people who BN has systematically contrived to keep poor, ignorant and thus grateful for peanuts in handouts who voted them back into office. That portion of the population still innocent or ignorant enough to believe that selling their votes for cash is some kind of entrepreneurial coup, and that the pack of lies they're fed by BN's 'mainstream' media could possibly be true.
No wonder such deliberately-disadvantaged people neither know nor care that for decades they've been fed false promises and pacified with chicken-feed while BN has systematically looted the nation's treasury and resources and destroyed its civil institutions. What's great news for the rest of us, however, and very bad news for BN, is that urban Malaysians are abandoning the regime in overwhelming numbers,. Thus rendering Najib's 'victory' as hollow possible by depriving him of the prizes he so dearly, indeed desperately wanted. Selangor, for a start, where BN has been even more comprehensively slaughtered this time than back in 2008, and Penang where the regime has suffered a similar fate. Well deserved wipeouts Then there are all the triumphs that Pakatan scored on an individual level. It was fantastic to see Nurul Izzah Anwar prevail despite the regime's throwing everything at her; to see Lim Kit Siang not only win but achieve a landslide in a seat in Johor; and to witness the well deserved wipeouts of the Malacca chief minister Mohd Ali Rustam and the candidates fielded by Perkasa. And speaking of wipeouts, it was an absolute joy to witness the eagerly anticipated near-annihilation of Umno's ever-compliant partners in the BN crime syndicate, the MCA, MIC and Gerakan.
According to BN 'news' agency Bernama, he "lamented" that "voters, especially the Chinese, did not appreciate all the services and efforts undertaken by the BN government in developing the state and safeguarding the welfare of the rakyat". What Mohd Ali failed to mention, of course, was the possibility that the voters, both Chinese and otherwise, had doubtlessly recalled how little they appreciated the arrogant contempt he demonstrated for their welfare on the occasion of his elder son's marriage some months ago. As you'll recall, and as the voters of Malacca surely did, Mohd Ali invited so many guests that he claimed it was a Malaysian if not world record for a wedding crowd, and had the bills for the entire affair sent to the state government.
Smarting from his crushing 14,762-vote defeat in Gelang Patah parliamentary seat by Lim, he blamed people who had "cast their votes based on their emotions". How the voters are expected to remain unemotional in the face of one massive BN scandal after another, he didn't attempt to explain. But whatever, emotions are still running very high indeed among Pakatan members and supporters at the outrageous illegalities committed by the regime before and during the general election, and blithely condoned by the crooked Election Commission. Blatant gerrymandering has delivered BN about 60 percent of parliamentary seats with less than 50 percent of the popular vote. And even this minority of votes for BN was achieved with a blend of alleged bribery, fraud and rigging of the electoral rolls and postal votes. What Malaysians can or will do about being thus robbed of the change of government they so clearly craved is anybody's guess. Challenge the result in the BN-biased courts? Stage Bersih-style public rallies in support of demands for a re-run, in defiance of the BN-biased police?
As gratified as he surely must be by the success of son Mukhriz in the general election, and as relieved to be spared facing justice at the hands of a Pakatan government, he's likely to be very unimpressed indeed by Najib's abject failure to win back BN's cherished two-thirds majority. So BN and its supporters had better enjoy the good news while it lasts, because they have so much bad news coming to them, from both inside and outside their ranks, that they'll wonder why they ever bothered engineering this fake 'win' – and may even come to regret it. |
| 120,000 show of force at post-GE13 rally Posted: 08 May 2013 09:56 AM PDT LIVE REPORTS 11.40pm: Traffic congestion worsens and motorists continue to snake their way home. Some are even still trying to get to the stadium. Malaysiakini reporter Aidila Razak was unable to make it to the stadium as she has been stuck in traffic for four hours. Including those caught in traffic jams all around Petaling Jaya, the crowd is estimated at 120,000 – making it one of the biggest rallies in recent times.
Traffic is at an absolute standstill from least five kilometres away in various direction and many who were heading to the rally are still stuck. This includes the Damansara-Puchong highway from the Federal Highway in one direction and Kelana Jaya LRT station in the other. 11.25pm: Met by reporters later, Anwar says he is impressed by the spontaneous turnout despite the rally only being called on Monday. “I would not quit until we reach Putrajaya, until we expose all (fraud) and claim Putrajaya for the rakyat. “They deserved it as we, Pakatan, won the popular vote," he says. Anwar then announced that there is to be another rally on Saturday in Penang, while they are still considering holing one in Ipoh on Friday.
Many cannot not make out their leaders’ speeches but still chime in with chants of reformasi and ubah. The rally then ends with the singing of ‘Negaraku’. 10.45pm: Gelang Patah MP Lim Kit Siang takes to the stage, after having earlier arrived via the back of a motorcycle. He begins by thanking all Malaysians, even those who did not support the Pakatan coalition, for their commitment towards making the country and people stronger and states that now is the time to "turn our resolve into the tasks that can move our country forward". "Foremost is the need to properly account for all of the irregularities during an election that was not only the dirtiest election in our country's history, but also the most marred in its process. "We support Bersih's people's tribunal as an essential step for justice and transparency. We call on all Malaysians to come forward to share their experiences and help us get to the truth," he says, and adds Pakatan also supports electoral petitions. The DAP supremo says a victory that is earned through money, lies and manipulation is not a victory at all. “The Malaysia I know is one that believes in fairness. The Malaysia that I know is one that believes in decency.” 10.40pm: The way out of the stadium, heading towards Paradigm Mall is clogged as the car ferrying Abdul Khalid Ibrahim is forced to slow down as many people ask the latter to roll down his window so that they may take snapshots with him. Khalid, meanwhile, smiles and graciously accomodates the requests of the crowd comprising of those leaving the stadium and those just heading in. 10.39pm: Pakatan Rakyat supremo Anwar Ibrahim declares that the people of Malaysia, be they Malay, Chinese, Indian, Kadazan or Dayak, want free and fair election. He is taking a dig at Utusan Malaysia's inflammatory headline yesterday, “Apa lagi Cina mahu?“.
The crowd, which has now swelled to 80,000 responds enthusiastically, raising their fists in a show support. Almost all cars have their windows down and most are honking rhythms, in what appears to be the most jubilant traffic jam in the Klang Valley. Along the LDP, people are still making their way to the stadium on foot. Most of them wear black, to symbolise protest against what they allege as “electoral fraud”. Columns of cars and motorbikes, parked along the road and believed to belong to Pakatan supporters, have contributed to the traffic congestion.
Those seen walking comprise of youth of various races. 10.15pm: Those still on the road start unwinding their windows to chat with each other. Among them are middle-aged Malay women and a group of young Chinese men. “There was a bus which came all the way from Johor!” a man tells another. “Well, I came from Kedah!” another man replies. Then a young Malay man flies a PAS flag out a window and a car ferrying group of young women of different races honk wildly in support. The traffic light has changed several times but there is no room to move. 10.05pm: Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim arrives. His arrival is greeted with wild cheers from the crowd, who also begin shouting, “Kami anak Malaysia“.
Meanwhile, men in a pick-up truck waves a PKR flag, to honks of support. DAP leader Lim Kit Siang is spotted riding pillion on a motorbike in the effort to beat the traffic jam so that he could get to the stadium on time for his speech. PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim is also seen being ferried to the venue on a motorbike. 9.33pm: The traffic jam from Kelana Jaya goes as far as the NPE toll near Sunway. According to Google Map Traffic, the whole of Petaling Jaya is in a gridlock. 9.30pm: The audio system in the stadium is not fully functioning, making it difficult for the speakers to be heard from outside the stadium or even from certain areas inside.
9.25pm:Motorcyclists passing by drivers dressed in black but stuck in the traffic crawl on the LDP, yell out "Ini Kalilah". The roads around the stadium are clogged for several kilometres, with no sign of having eased over the past two hours. Many people, adorning ‘Ini Kalilah’ T-shirst, are observed leaving their cars parked along the side of the highway and are legging it towards the stadium. 9.05pm: Stalls selling food and Pakatan memorabilia such as T-shirts, sashes and stickers, surround the stadium complex. Meanwhile, people continue to stream into the stadium. All the seats have long been filled and so the crowd begin to sit on the field and running track. 9pm: PKR director of strategy Rafizi Ramli warns Utusan Malaysiathat if they still play the racial card, they will face the wrath of Malay people.
They are chanting “Najib, tipu”, “Ubah” and blowing the noisy vuvuzelas. Many of them have brought yellow flowers, symbolising Bersih, or clean and fair elections. 8.40pm: Many Pakatan Rakyat leaders tweeted that they are trapped in the traffic jam, including Tian Chua and Elizabeth Wong. The drizzle has stopped and the participants of ‘Suara Rakyat Suara Keramat’ rally are packing up their umbrellas. Newly-elected MP for Kelana Jaya Wong Chen takes the stage to address the excited crowd. Telephone lines around the stadium are congested.
Some of the participants have parked their cars at the side of the main road and are walking about 1km to the Kelana Jaya stadium. Some of them are wearing black T-shirts and are walking while shouting "Hidup! Hidup! Hidup rakyat!" 8.35pm: Massive traffic jams are reported in the vicinity of the stadium. Some participants have to walk more than 2km to get the venue. “I am stuck in the biggest ‘carpark’ in the world. Haven’t moved an inch for close to 15 minutes,” reports Malaysiakini journalist Aidila Razak. Those who have reached the stadium are finding it difficult to find a parking space. 8.15pm: Tens of thousands are already inside the stadium. The slight drizzle continues with the crowd unfurling their umbrellas or donning raincoats. 7.30pm: PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim will today address his supporters for the first time since Sunday’s elections, which he alleged were marred with fraudulent practices that ensured BN's win.
The crowd is slowly trickling in, with the stadium about a quarter full as a slight drizzle falls on the grounds of the Kelana Jaya stadium. No police presence has been spotted yet despite speculations that there will be tight police control around the stadium, which housed 50,000 supporters during a pre-election rally. |
| Undi Bangsa Malaysia menambah kepahitan BN Posted: 07 May 2013 08:14 PM PDT Undi popular dalam Pilihan Raya 2013 menceritakan tentang generasi Bangsa Malaysia mengundi buat pertama kali dan melangkaui batas kaum akan tetapi bagi Barisan Nasional (BN), lebih menyenangkan untuk menyalahkan pengundi Cina daripada memastikan perpaduan dan mengakui strategi mereka gagal. Hampir 13.3 juta pengundi membuang undi buat pertama kali pada pilihan raya hujung minggu lalu dan lebih cenderung untuk musuh BN, Pakatan Rakyat (PR) yang berikrar untuk menamatkan kronisme, perbelanjaan berlebihan dan rasuah. Pengundi kali pertama ini, kebanyakkannya di bawah 30 tahun, membesar di zaman pemerintahan Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, di mana bekas perdana menteri paling lama berkhidmat itu melancarkan Wawasan 2020 pada 1991 dan bercakap soal Bangsa Malaysia yang bersaing melalui meritokrasi dalam negara membangun. Mereka menyebabkan BN hilang tujuh lagi kerusi Parlimen berbanding Pilihan Raya 2008,133 daripada 222. Di peringkat Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) lebih teruk lagi — BN mendapat 275 berbanding PR 230 daripada 505 kerusi DUN yang dipertandingkan. "Mereka abaikan Bangsa Malaysia. Dan sekarang kamu lihat bagaimana generasi muda mengundi," kata wartawan dan editor veteran Datuk A Kadir Jasin kepada The Malaysian Insider, merujuk kepada BN. Beliau menulis di blognya mengenai keputusan pilihan raya umum 5 Mei, mengatakan kelemahan prestasi BN menunjukkan penolakkan dari semua rakyat Malaysia dan bukan sahaja dari minoriti Cina. "Adakah tidak mungkin bahawa ini bukan tsunami Cina atau cauvinisme kaum, tetapi tsunami Malaysia yang berpaksikan aspirasi dan realiti baru, khasnya di kalangan pengundi muda?" kata bekas ketua pengarang kumpulan New Straits Times Press semasa era pentadbiran Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad dalam tulisan di blognya yang bertajuk, "Keputusan PRU13-Tsunami Cina atau Tsunami Malaysia?". Penganalisis dan ahli politik juga menolak teori "tsunami Cina", mengatakan peningkatkan undi popular terhadap PR adalah berbilang kaum secara semula jadi dan disebabkan oleh peralihan dari pengundi bandar dan kelas menengah yang menyaksikan jurang bandar-luar bandar Malaysia semakin meluas. Mereka juga mengatakan tajuk utama Utusan Malaysia yang dimiliki Umno dan BN "Apa lagi Cina mahu?" adalah petunjuk jelas BN mencari momok luar dan memesongkan perhatian daripada pemimpin-pemimpin parti dan kegagalan strategi dalam Pilihan Raya 2013. Pengerusi BN dan Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak mencadangkan "tsunami Cina" menyebabkan kekalahan BN dibanyak kerusi pada awal pagi Isnin, disambung oleh Presiden MCA Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek dan kemudiannya diperkukuhkan oleh pemimpin MIC Datuk M. Saravanan semalam. Dr Mahathir juga menyalahkan kekalahan itu kepada "Cina yang tidak bersyukur" dan "Melayu tamak", selain dari mempersolkan ahli strategi BN di mana idea mereka gagal. Akan tetapi pengkritik membangkitkan, Dr Mahathir secara aktif berkempen untuk BN, terutamanya dua calon Perkasa — Datuk Ibrahim Ali di Pasir Mas dan Datuk Zulkifli Noordin di Shah Alam, yang telah mencetuskan kemarahan bukan Melayu kerana kenyataan berbaur perkauman selama ini. Kedua-dua pemimpin ini bertanding di kerusi Parlimen yang majoritinya Melayu akan tetapi kalah, bukti BN salah tentang Cina adalah punca utama kekalahan mereka. Dr Mahathir, bagaimanapun, tepat mengenai ahli strategi BN, sesetengahnya yang mencadangkan serangan peribadi kepada pemimpin pembangkang, menakut-nakutkan dan memperlekehkan manifesto PR menggunakan pelbagai saluran media dan mendominasi ruang iklan. "Menyalahkan DAP kerana mengelirukan pengundi mereka boleh mengubah kerajaan hanya menunjukkan bagaimana pintarnya ahli strategi DAP berbanding BN," kata pakar hubungan awam, yang enggan untuk dinamakan. "Ahli strategi BN ini hanya mahu menyembunyikan fakta mereka tersilap baca mengenai anak muda Bangsa Malaysia, jadi salahkan sahaja Cina yang tidak mengundi mereka," tambah beliau. Sumber dari "bilik perang" BN mengatakan tinjauan dalaman gabungan itu menunjukkan prestasi mereka akan lebih buruk dari Pilihan raya 2008, apabila mereka menang 140 kerusi. "Kami sentiasa sedar untuk mendapat di bawah 140 jadi 133 bukanlah sesuatu yang mengejutkan," katanya. "Adalah mudah untuk menyalahkan pengundi dan parti lain untuk kekalahan tetapi faktanya jentera pilihan raya kita gagal di sesetengah tempat sementara PR adalah lebih baik," tambah beliau. "Jentera PR adalah mengagumkan dan mereka bercakap tentang isu-isu dan hubungan kaum. Itu banyak membantu mereka," kata pegawai bilik perang BN itu. Buat masa sekarang, katanya adalah mudah bagi BN yang kecewa untuk menyalahkan DAP dan Cina, kuat menyokong mereka dalam pilihan raya 1999 selepas Dr Mahathir memecat Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim kerana dikatakan meliwat dan tuduhan rasuah menyebabkan protes selama berbulan-bulan. Cina adalah 28 peratus dari 29 juta populasi Malaysia, dan kurang daripada separuh mendaftar sebagai pengundi. Di sebalik jumlah pengundi yang rendah, Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya (SPR) mengatakan peratusan keluar mengundi memecahkan rekod apabila mencecah 84.84 peratus. Daripada jumlah pengundi itu, BN mendapat 5,237,699 undi untuk 222 kerusi Parlimen berbanding parti Pakatan Rakyat yang mengumpulkan 5,623,984 undi. Gabungan tiga parti PKR, PAS dan DAP itu juga mengalahkan BN dalam undi di Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) apabila mendapat 4,879,699 undi berbanding gabungan 13 parti itu yang mendapat 4,513,977 undi. |
| ‘Bangsa Malaysia’ vote makes a bitter BN Posted: 07 May 2013 08:05 PM PDT
The popular vote in Election 2013 tells the story of a "Bangsa Malaysia" generation voting for the first time and across racial lines, but for Barisan Nasional (BN), blaming Chinese voters is far more convenient to ensure unity and mask strategies that failed. Some three million of the 13.3 million voters cast their ballots for the first time in last weekend's polls and many likely did so for BN's foes Pakatan Rakyat (PR), who vowed to end cronyism, excess expenditure and endemic corruption. These first-time voters, mainly below 30, grew up in Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's rule, where the country's longest-serving prime minister launched his Vision 2020 in 1991 and spoke of a "Bangsa Malaysia" (Malaysian Race) who competed on meritocracy in a developed nation. They left BN losing seven more federal seats than in Election 2008, for a total of 133 out of 222. The tale in the 12 state assemblies was even worse ? BN managed just 275 seats against PR's 230 out of the 505 seats contested. "They neglected 'Bangsa Malaysia'. And now you see how the younger generation are voting," veteran newsman and editor Datuk A. Kadir Jasin told The Malaysian Insider, referring to BN. He had blogged about the May 5 general election results, saying BN's weaker showing pointed to a strong wave of rejection from all Malaysians and not just from the minority Chinese. "Is it not possible that this is not a Chinese tsunami or racial chauvinism but a Malaysian tsunami that is centred on the aspiration and new reality, especially among young voters?" the man who had been group editor-in-chief of the public-listed News Straits Times Press during the Mahathir administration wrote in his blog. Other pundits and politicians have also debunked the "Chinese tsunami" theory, saying the greater popular vote that went to PR was multi-racial in nature and due to a swing in the urban and middle-class electorate that saw Malaysia's urban-rural rift widen. They also said BN and Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia's banner headline "What else do the Chinese want?" yesterday was a clear sign of finding an external bogeyman to deflect attention from party leaders and strategies that failed in Election 2013. BN chairman and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak suggested the "Chinese tsunami" for the coalition's defeat early Monday morning, which MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek took up and later reinforced by MIC leader Datuk M. Saravanan yesterday. Dr Mahathir also blamed the loss on "ungrateful Chinese" and "greedy Malays", apart from questioning BN strategists whose ideas failed. But critics point out that Dr Mahathir actively campaigned for BN, especially the two Malay rights group Perkasa candidates ? Datuk Ibrahim Ali in Pasir Mas and Datuk Zulkifli Noordin in Shah Alam, who have riled up non-Malays for racist remarks over the years. Both contested in Malay-majority federal seats but lost, further evidence that BN was wrong about the Chinese being the main cause of their electoral losses. Dr Mahathir, however, was right about the BN strategists, some of whom pitched for personal attacks against opposition leaders, fear mongering and running down PR's manifesto through various media channels and dominating advertising space. "Blaming the DAP for confusing voters into believing that they can change the government just shows how brilliant DAP strategists are compared with BN's," said a public relations expert, who declined to be named. "These BN strategists just want to hide the fact that they misread the 'Bangsa Malaysia' youths, so just pin the blame on the Chinese whose vote was discounted in the first place," he added. A BN war room source also pointed out the coalition's internal surveys had shown it would perform worse than in Election 2008, when they won 140 seats. "We were always going to get below 140, so 133 is no surprise," he said. "It is easier to blame voters and other parties for the losses but the fact is our election machinery failed us in some places while PR's was better," he added. "PR's machinery was impressive and they talked about issues and race relations. That helped them a lot," the BN war room official said. But for now, he said it was easier for a bitter BN to blame DAP and the Chinese, whose strong support in the 1999 elections shored up Dr Mahathir's position after Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was sacked for sodomy and corruption charges that sparked months-long protests. The Chinese form 28 per cent of Malaysia's 29 million population of which less than half have registered to vote. Despite the low number of voters, the Election Commission (EC) said voter turnout on Sunday was a record 84.84 per cent. Of that number, BN polled 5,237,699 votes for the 222 federal seats to Pakatan Rakyat parties' combined 5,623,984 ballots. The three-party pact of PKR, PAS and the DAP also surpassed BN in the state seats, pulling in 4,879,699 votes to the 13-member coalition's 4,513,997 ballots. |
| Posted: 07 May 2013 08:01 PM PDT Malaysians cast their ballots in the most important election in the nation’s history on Sunday. On Election Day, as had been predicted by opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, reports of electoral fraud were widespread. Although the Prime Minister Najib Razak had just a few days earlier given his categorical assurance that the election would be clean, a mountain of evidence started piling up to negate his assertion. It was discovered that despite years of pressuring the Malaysian Election Commission (EC) to ensure a free, fair and unbiased election the EC continued to demonstrate its incompetence and lack of professionalism. Furthermore, evidence has emerged that websites in Malaysia are being selectively and deliberately blocked to prevent the free flow of independent information. Indelible Ink At early voting stations in Kuala Lumpur on April 30, independent election observers witnessed that the indelible ink being used as a mechanism to prevent multiple voting could be removed with hand sanitizer or soapy water. These reports were confirmed by independent news portal Malaysiakini, one of Malaysia’s most well regarded online news portals. Indelible ink is supposed to remain visible on the voter’s finger for a minimum of five to seven days so that an individual who tries to vote more than once will be turned away. In Malaysia, the ink can be removed quite easily shortly after it is applied. Over 50,000 military servicemen voted in early voting on April 30 and could have voted again on the May 5 polling date as a result of the faulty ink. On May 5 there were 1000s of reports of voters being able to wipe the indelible ink off their hands quite easily. In response the Election Commissioner stated it was not a big deal since there would be no voting the following day. In 2012 the Election Commission gave assurances to civil society groups which had staged large street protests in Kuala Lumpur that it would implement indelible ink. But the ink that was ultimately used proved to be defective and useless, casting a dark shadow on the integrity of the electoral process. Foreign Voters The investigative journalist website SarawakReport along with Anwar Ibrahim himself disclosed emails linking the Prime Minister’s Office to charter dozens of flights arranged to bring thousands of people from Borneo to Peninsular Malaysia. There are thousands of Indonesians and Bengali workers employed by palm oil plantations on the island of Borneo. In response to allegations that this was a coordinated effort to move voters into swing distracts to cast illegal ballots, UMNO Secretary General Tengku Adnan Mansor said that the airplanes were part of a get out the vote effort paid for by friends of the ruling party. On Election Day numerous witnesses encountered busloads of voters brought to polling stations. When confronted, the voters on these busses did not look like Malaysians and many of them could not perform simple tasks like sing the national anthem or recite the address on their national ID card. Across Malaysia there were dozens of parliamentary and state races that were decided by less than 1,000 votes. It is entirely possible that a few hundred voters placed into these marginal areas could have determined outcomes. Media Freedom The mainstream media is completely controlled by the government and denied access to the opposition. Malaysia ranks 145 on Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index and has dropped in the ranking every year since 2003. During the campaign period countless hours of airtime and dozens of pages of newsprint are dedicated to promoting lies and misinformation about the opposition without providing any opportunity for rebuttal. There can be no real democracy with such a lopsided and biased media environment. Throughout the last five years Malaysian authorities have arrested bloggers under charges of sedition and treason. On May 1 a blogger running the site milosuam.blogspot.co.uk was arrested at the headquarters of the People’s Justice Party outside of Kuala Lumpur. Initial reports indicate he was arrested for treason. Electoral Roll Based on the voter list gazetted in March 2013 the following has been identified: - Postal voters who by definition are engaged in national service with a national origin from Pakistan, Bangladesh, or Indonesia The Election Commission acknowledged many of these problems but failed to take adequate steps to resolve them. Cyber Warfare Since Parliament was dissolved, independent news sites were targets of massive Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks and selective blocking within Malaysia. While the exact mechanism of the blocking is being investigated, visitors to these websites as well as those of Malaysiakini, RadioFreeSarawak.com and SarawakReport.org experienced slow downs or sudden drops in service. After 56 years of single-party, semi-authoritarian rule the majority of Malaysians decided it is time to change the government. Polling by independent groups indicated that the Pakatan Rakyat coalition will win a clear majority of the seats in the Federal Parliament and gain control of at least seven of Malaysia’s fourteen states and territories. Many Malaysians today are furious that a government that is desperate to retain power at all costs has hijacked their Constitutional rights. Dr Azeem Ibrahim is the Executive Chairman of The Scotland Institute and Fellow at the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding. |
Survival with seven fewer federal seats than Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (left) achieved in 2008 is absolutely pathetic considering the fraudulence of the electoral system, the countless billions thrown around in pork-barreling and bribery, and the combined might of the mendacious mainstream media.
While, no thanks to BN but rather over its dead body, urban Malaysians now have access to genuine news online, it is an absolute disgrace to the regime's claims of progress that there are millions of Malaysians to whom the Net is still just the thing you sleep under to keep thenyamuk from biting you in the night.
While these parties have at least thus far been quite humble or at least fatalistic in defeat, Mohd Ali(left) has been loudly lamenting the ingratitude of the voters who deserted him in such droves.
Another sore loser for whom it is hard to feel a shred of sympathy is Johor BN chairperson Abdul Ghani Othman (right).
Meanwhile, we all wait to hear the possible ultimate bad news for Najib, if not BN in general, from the eternal and ever-malicious PM-behind-the-scenes Dr Mahathir Mohamad (left).
11.27pm:Although the event is over, there are still people dressed in black walking towards the stadium from a couple of kilometres away.
11pm: Despite the drizzle, the crowd is still trickling into the stadium. Cars have been parked as far as 2km away and the party doesn’t seem to end anytime soon for supporters.
Anwar says every Malaysian, regardless of race, want to reclaim their rights and they want BN to fall.
10.19pm: Many are also walking to the stadium from Paradigm Mall, undeterred by the fact the rally was to have started two hours ago.
10pm: Four kilometres from the venue, passengers on a bus and several cars alight from their vehicles and begin making their way to the rally on foot. All are dressed in black.
Participants inside are also still having difficulty accessing active phone lines. Meanwhile, there’s a substantial spillover crowd at the entrance and spaces have run out inside the stadium.
"I am Malay, but I support Pakatan Rakyat," he told the 50,000 crowd.
8.35pm: The rain has caused roads near the area to be jam-packed from the junction with the Federal Highway until Paradigm Mall.
The rally in Kelana Jaya today is expected to draw a large crowd eager to listen to their leaders after an election that has left many Pakatan Rakyat supporters unhappy.
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