Quote:
" Voters in Malaysia deserve a chance for every vote to count and count equally.
Given the vast array of anomalies in the electoral rolls, this looks increasingly UNLIKELY."
-Elaine Pearson,
Deputy Asia Director, International Human Rights Watch (New York)
Malaysian government restrictions on free speech, freedom of assembly and the media will deny citizens a fair vote in Saturday's general election, New York-based Human Rights Watch said on Wednesday.
Human Rights Watch said the authorities' manipulation of the electoral process seemed to aim at ensuring Barisan retains the majority it has held since 1969.
Elaine Pearson, deputy Asia director of New York-based Human Rights Watch, said in a statement:
"Once again, elections in Malaysia are grossly unfair to the opposition. Malaysia's ruling coalition is too comfortable with the status quo to allow reforms that would level the playing field.Malaysians for Free and Fair Elections watchdog group said it had dropped plans to act as polling day monitor in protest against election officials' decision to scrap an earlier arrangement to introduce indelible ink at Saturday's poll.
When opposition leaders and civil society groups critical of the government try to organise rallies, they are blocked at every turn.
Yet the usual excuses about unruly protesters and blocked traffic are never mentioned when the ruling coalition wants to get its supporters out on the streets.
Clouding the fairness of the poll were curbs on the media, with the opposition locked out of state television and radio, as well as irregularities in voter lists and vote counting procedures.
Voters in Malaysia deserve a chance for every vote to count and count equally. Given the vast array of anomalies in the electoral rolls, this looks increasingly unlikely.
Malaysian law and practice allow the ruling coalition to campaign freely but put severe restraints on opposition groups, with police denying them the permits needed for any gathering of four or more people, for example.
The government is using the spectre of ethnic violence to deter public demonstrations and silence its critics."
The group's deputy chairman Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh said:
"Indelible ink is very useful and effective to curb against any impersonation as well as multiple voting actions."The decision NOT to use indelible ink suggested a conspiracy to help the government win, said Malaysia's the Parti Islam se-Malaysia (PAS) spokesman Roslan Shahir told reporters:
"The announcement validates PAS's claim that there exists a Barisan conspiracy with cooperation from the Election Commission and other government agencies, to ensure an undemocratic Barisan victory."INDELIBLE INK
Malaysia had said it would use the ink -- to be daubed on a voter's finger to ensure he or she could not attempt to cast a second ballot -- for the first time in the poll to help meet an opposition demand to combat electoral fraud.
Malaysia's de facto opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said in Singapore he believed the election was flawed"
Anwar said at a news conference in Singapore:
Anwar also said the coalition of opposition parties had already secured one-third of the seats in parliament, based on information from ruling party sources and other "intelligence apparatus"."They promised indelible ink and they cancelled at the last moment, it's shameful.
India with its 1 billion people can conduct free and fair elections with indelible ink and nobody was hurt.But not in our case."
COMMENTARY
From readers: Read HERE for more
Excerpts:
"... Vote the Opposition DOESN'T mean we are anti-government or we do not love this country!
Because: WE love this country, we NEED to stand up and ensure this country not to be run by these hypocrites and weak government FREELY with unlimited resources!
Recently, MCA keep on saying , "Again, we managed to "fight" for another xx millions for xx Chinese schools"
SILLY!! What do they mean by "fight"? Don't you think it should be their jobs???
Why "fight"? Isn't it should be their duty!!
Don't you think they are just like dogs around the master's table barking till their throats drop... then they will get a bone tagged with a pieces of skin. And they "shout" to the whole world. They managed to "fight" for something..!!!
Pathetic! It is a disgrace to the Chinese community.
Answer is :- they are too weak in BN!! They have to beg and fight..!!
Voting for BN means voting for Umno! MCA and Gerakan are just their "running dogs"..they throw some bones out..so that these dogs can share the "good"news..!
Yes, Shouldn't blame the Malays..!!
What do we care? Tomorrow still can eat pork or not? Can "yam seng" or not?
Is that what we care only?
What make us feel that if the BN can't get the 2/3, then we don't have pork to eat?
WHO always "remind" us that if BN can't get 2/3, there will be May13?
You still want to be threaten??
Still remember that I read an article from PAS:-UMNO, please don't threaten our Chinese friends again with the oldtricks :- MAY13 issue. Listen, before you touch our Chinese friends, you have to walk pass our dead body first. We won't let you harm them!!
I'm touched!.
I believe our poor Malay friends have seen the TRUE UGLY face from their (BN) leaders!!
They know well..30% or even 90% shares given to BUMI won't benefit them at all.... except those in UMNOs.
A lot of them have woke up, are you still asleep!?? Can you still don't bother??? WAKE UP!!!!!
Me too, love this country do you??...- If you need reminding of what this (BN) Government has been about to you and everyone else, think of these:
1. Altantuya Shaaribuu
2. V.K. Lingam, Eusuff Chin and Vincent Tan
3. Najib, helicopters, C4 explosives etc and of course his wife
4. Khairy Jamaluddin, Ethos Consulting, UMNO Youth
5. Hishamuddin, keris waving
6. Samy Vellu, PLUS highways
7. Rafidah Aziz, APs, NAZA cars
8. Mahathir, convenient forgetfulness
9. Body snatchers, forced conversions, tearing down of churches, temples etc
10. MCA, Kampar, TAR University, Ling Liong Sik, Ong Ka Ting, On Ka Chuan
11. Maybank, law firms, Malay majority
12. IGP, corruption, ACA, acquittal
13. Eric Chia, corruption, ACA, acquittal
14. Klang Counsellor, Zakaria, do you still remember his palace and his family members in the Council Committee.
15. West Port Free Trade Zone - abuse of public funds to enrich themselves. " - How Christians should vote:
1. Vote against those that do not allow us to build churches and to operate churches in shophouses. People like Lee Hwa Beng.I will mobilise my family and Christian friends to throw out the hyprocrite who had declared shophouse churches illegal.
2. Vote against those that ban the Bahasa Malaysia Bible and seize imports of Bible.
3. Vote against those that ban the use of certain Bahasa words for our Bible.
4. Vote against those that refuse to give us decent burial land.
5. Vote against the corrupt, unethical amd unjust "evengelical Christians" like those who prosecuted their own party colleague Fong Po Kuan.
6. Vote against those so-called Christian politicians who compromise their faith by involving in pagan practices.
7. Vote against those who are only interested in Datukships and other civil awards and benefits and priviledges.
8. Vote against those who defected from their parties after being elected on the part tickets, those who won on DAP sponsorship and then sell out by defecting to MCA or Gerakan.
9. Vote against the racists and anti-women (eg the leaking MPs issue).
10. Vote FOR those who will stand up for TRUTH, RIGHTEOUSNESS, HUMAN RIGHTS and RELIGIOUS FREEDOM. People like Lim Kit Siang and son Guan Eng and Karpal Singh, who went to jail for you and me, people like the brave video cameraman Lim Gwo Burne who exposed the Lingam scandal.
In view of the NGOs support for the MCA, let us all STOP the financial contribution to these organisations.
Being Barisan Nasional supporter these organisation obviously do NOT need our financial support.
I will stop my contribution to the Beautiful Gate and will ask all my church members and friends to stop too. These organisations definitely will have financial support from the MCA. They don't need our money or the support of the churches.
Another thing, please vote for the honest video cameraman Loh Gwo Burne in Kelana Jaya instead of supporting a dishonest Christian politican, who do not fight for our freedom to set up churches in shophpuses.
I will also give my vote to Hannah Yeoh and will campaign for her among my friends and church members.
Remember, in urban areas like Kelana Jaya and Subang Jaya, we won't be deprived of development whoever is the MP or state assemblyman. Also the city and municipal councillors are appointed by the Barisan Nasional and these people will see to more development (for their own benefits also). So if we vote for the opposition we won't lack development but will have extra stronger voice in parliament and state assemblies.
We don't need longang and pothole MPs like Chew Mei Fun or Lee Hwa Beng.
We need fearless voices like the brave video cameraman Loh Gwo Burne, Tony Pua and Hannah Yeoh.
Let the Barisan Nasional municipal councillors take care of the longangs and pothoes. They are the experts. And they do benefit from assigning contractors to do the work.
For parliament and state assemblies, we need people who are sinCere, honest, intellegent, well-educated, articulate and fearless to represent us. Take for example the MIC. For 50 years it couldn't get Thaipusam to be made a holiday. It was the public pressure by the Hindruf people that caused the government to give the Indians the holiday and many other concession.
Here are some guidelines to vote:
(1) In urban constituencies, there will always be development whoever the MP or state assemblyman is. And the BN-appointed municipal councillors willmake sure the potholes, traffic problems, longangs will be taken care off. So, what we need are extra strong opposition representation in parliament and state assemblies.So, vote opposition. Vote for Lim Kit Siang, Lim Guan Eng, Karpal Singh, Betty Chew, Loh Gwo Burne, Tony Pua, Hannah Yeoh, Anwar's wife and daughter, etc.
(2) In Penang, if Koh Tsu Koon loses in Batu Kawan, he will be made a semator and appointed a minister, in view of his position as Gerakan president So, vote Prof Ramasamy of the DAP to have an extra intellectual voice in parliament. For Ong Ka Ting and other MCA and Gerakan leaders, they won't lose anything if they lose the election.
(3) Samy Vellu has declared that if the Indian community don't want him, he will step down. We and all our Indian friends should vote out all MIC candidates to send Samy Vellu the message that he has overstayed too long. Let's us campaign among our Indian friends to throw out all MIC candidates. After all, the opposition has more elected in representatives in parliament and state assemblies to speak out for them.
(4) Pray, pray, and pray!
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