Why does a political party need to cheat at elections so as to rule perpetually? Would it not be better to turn the country into a one-party state just by emulating China's approach in the way they manage a nation of 1.3 billion people?
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Thursday, July 11, 2013
The behaviour of our non-Muslim ministers is simply DISGUSTING!
Looks like the country’s non-Muslim ministers are really ‘enjoying’ their work, so much so that they decided to not rock the boat when the controversial Administration of the Religion of Islam (Federal Territories) Bill 2013 was discussed at the Cabinet meeting.
Their silence led to the contentious Bill being tabled in Parliament on June 26 for its first reading – but barely a week later, thanks to the uproar coming from many quarters, the Bill which allows the consent of just one parent before a child is converted to Islam, has now been placed on the backburner, with the excuse given by Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin that the Bill needs to be studied further.
The truth is that while Muhyiddin knows it is foolish to continue intimidating the non-Muslim Malaysians’, there is no saying whether he or his boss Najib Tun Razak have learnt their lesson the hard way, as seen from the wholehearted rejection of the Bill.
As for the non-Muslim ministers who chose to keep their mouths shut when the Bill was being deliberated at the Cabinet meeting, it is proof that these ministers are first and foremost politicians out to safeguard their own interests, whatever these concerns maybe at this point in time.
Hopefully the chiding from the Malaysian Indian Progressive Association (MIPAS) serves as a wake up call to these non-Muslim ministers who have forgotten that their priority is to serve the rakyat, not to the contrary.
MIPAS secretary S Barathidasan was correct in every way when he said that the non-Muslim ministers were to be blamed for not speaking out against the Bill which allowed for unilateral conversion of minors to Islam.
Maybe Barathidasan had overestimated the commitment of these ministers ie.e to make the rakyat their one and only focus.
Either these non-Muslim ministers are not interested in nipping discrimination against the rakyat in its bud or they are playing their cards well, trying to please their boss, prime minister Najib to keep their politial career going.
That explains why no minister, with the exception of Tourism Minister, Nazri Aziz, had said a word about the controversial Bill which has been in the news since 2009 and which is of big concern to the non-Muslims of this country.
(Clause 107(b) of the new bill states that a non-Muslim can convert to Islam if he is of sound mind, but a subject below the age of 18 can do so with the consent of his or her mother, father or guardian).
Non-Muslim ministers playing politics
When Muhyiddin announced that Cabinet had decided to withdraw the lopsided Bill until approval of all stakeholders was received, MCA Young Professional Bureau chief Chua Tee Yong and MIC president G Palanivel wasted no time in sucking up to their political masters.
While Chua claimed that the Cabinet’s decision not to proceed with the Bill showed that the Barisan Nasional government respected the rights of all races, Palanivel said it was a fair move, one that took into consideration everyone’s sensitivities.
The gracious thanks to the government by Chua and Palanivel over the withdrawal of the Bill is proof that the duo are simply out and out politicians, not leaders who truly care for the rakyat’s welfare.
Had Chua and Palanivel been true to their task of ‘people first’, they would have objected to the Bill when it was discussed at length during the Cabinet meeting.
Did Chua and Palanivel not have the guts to face Najib and express their dissatisfation over the discriminatory Bill? Or did the conversion issue not interest Chua, Palanivel and the other non-Muslim ministers enough to challenge its ‘legitimacy’?
Why then the press statements thanking the government for not going ahead with the Bill when all the noise could have been made at the Cabinet meeting?
If the non-Muslim ministers think they can have the best of both worlds i.e. please their political tauke and hoodwink the rakyat, they are in for a rude shock. '
Five years to buck up or else…
The BN government has five years before the 14th general election takes place to proof its worthiness to the rakyat. However, going by the look of things, it appears that the time at hand is not being used judiciously by both BN and its ministers.
The federal government’s indifference towards the conversion Bill is just one such example.
Remember this picture? This is what DISGUST is all about.
Their silence led to the contentious Bill being tabled in Parliament on June 26 for its first reading – but barely a week later, thanks to the uproar coming from many quarters, the Bill which allows the consent of just one parent before a child is converted to Islam, has now been placed on the backburner, with the excuse given by Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin that the Bill needs to be studied further.
The truth is that while Muhyiddin knows it is foolish to continue intimidating the non-Muslim Malaysians’, there is no saying whether he or his boss Najib Tun Razak have learnt their lesson the hard way, as seen from the wholehearted rejection of the Bill.
As for the non-Muslim ministers who chose to keep their mouths shut when the Bill was being deliberated at the Cabinet meeting, it is proof that these ministers are first and foremost politicians out to safeguard their own interests, whatever these concerns maybe at this point in time.
Hopefully the chiding from the Malaysian Indian Progressive Association (MIPAS) serves as a wake up call to these non-Muslim ministers who have forgotten that their priority is to serve the rakyat, not to the contrary.
MIPAS secretary S Barathidasan was correct in every way when he said that the non-Muslim ministers were to be blamed for not speaking out against the Bill which allowed for unilateral conversion of minors to Islam.
Maybe Barathidasan had overestimated the commitment of these ministers ie.e to make the rakyat their one and only focus.
Either these non-Muslim ministers are not interested in nipping discrimination against the rakyat in its bud or they are playing their cards well, trying to please their boss, prime minister Najib to keep their politial career going.
That explains why no minister, with the exception of Tourism Minister, Nazri Aziz, had said a word about the controversial Bill which has been in the news since 2009 and which is of big concern to the non-Muslims of this country.
(Clause 107(b) of the new bill states that a non-Muslim can convert to Islam if he is of sound mind, but a subject below the age of 18 can do so with the consent of his or her mother, father or guardian).
Non-Muslim ministers playing politics
When Muhyiddin announced that Cabinet had decided to withdraw the lopsided Bill until approval of all stakeholders was received, MCA Young Professional Bureau chief Chua Tee Yong and MIC president G Palanivel wasted no time in sucking up to their political masters.
While Chua claimed that the Cabinet’s decision not to proceed with the Bill showed that the Barisan Nasional government respected the rights of all races, Palanivel said it was a fair move, one that took into consideration everyone’s sensitivities.
The gracious thanks to the government by Chua and Palanivel over the withdrawal of the Bill is proof that the duo are simply out and out politicians, not leaders who truly care for the rakyat’s welfare.
Had Chua and Palanivel been true to their task of ‘people first’, they would have objected to the Bill when it was discussed at length during the Cabinet meeting.
Did Chua and Palanivel not have the guts to face Najib and express their dissatisfation over the discriminatory Bill? Or did the conversion issue not interest Chua, Palanivel and the other non-Muslim ministers enough to challenge its ‘legitimacy’?
Why then the press statements thanking the government for not going ahead with the Bill when all the noise could have been made at the Cabinet meeting?
If the non-Muslim ministers think they can have the best of both worlds i.e. please their political tauke and hoodwink the rakyat, they are in for a rude shock. '
Five years to buck up or else…
The BN government has five years before the 14th general election takes place to proof its worthiness to the rakyat. However, going by the look of things, it appears that the time at hand is not being used judiciously by both BN and its ministers.
The federal government’s indifference towards the conversion Bill is just one such example.
Remember this picture? This is what DISGUST is all about.
Now, we can understand why there were no objections from the non-Muslim ministers when it was first tabled at cabinet level. The "YES, BOSS" syndrome is here to stay.
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Our crime rate, still a perception?
Khairy's home has been broken into and thank goodness, no one was hurt in the incident. Then came Tan Sri Lim Seng's encounter with some parang-wielding robbers while seeking medical treatment at a clinic. In the melee, he shot one of the robbers dead.
To add to these recent happenings, I have just received the following email which I would like to share with you.
To add to these recent happenings, I have just received the following email which I would like to share with you.
We often hear of robberies etc . Do you feel safe ?
Tonight my friends and I were having dinner open-air at Subang, Ara Damansara .
At 8.30pm the place had 20 tables occupied. Suddenly there was a commotion.
Then I saw a young skinny guy with a long parang running towards the tables .
Everybody started to run and in all directions. It was scary.
After 5 mins , we saw 6 indian guys on 3 bikes leaving.
They robbed the patrons and cashier. They took whatever that was on the table.
There was an old lady who could not run . As she clung on to her bag , they threaten to chop her hand. She had to let her bag go .
I lost my hp.
For me and my friends, this was the first time we experienced something like this.
Such lawlessness. It's scary.
You have to take care.
Sent from Mic's iPad
Tonight my friends and I were having dinner open-air at Subang, Ara Damansara .
At 8.30pm the place had 20 tables occupied. Suddenly there was a commotion.
Then I saw a young skinny guy with a long parang running towards the tables .
Everybody started to run and in all directions. It was scary.
After 5 mins , we saw 6 indian guys on 3 bikes leaving.
They robbed the patrons and cashier. They took whatever that was on the table.
There was an old lady who could not run . As she clung on to her bag , they threaten to chop her hand. She had to let her bag go .
I lost my hp.
For me and my friends, this was the first time we experienced something like this.
Such lawlessness. It's scary.
You have to take care.
Sent from Mic's iPad
Instead of wasting their time trying to figure out the identity of the Red Bean Army, the PDRM and other enforcement units would be more useful if they could spend time taking care of the security of the nation. But I guess nothing will be done as our leaders have said, crime in this country is nothing but merely a perception.
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Talking to the wall?
A female CNN journalist heard about a very elderly Jewish man who had been going to the Western Wall to pray, twice a day, every day, for a long, long time.
So she went to check it out. She went to the Western Wall and there he was,
walking slowly up to the holy site.
She watched him pray and after about 45 minutes, when he turned to leave, using a cane and moving very slowly, she approached him for an interview.
"Pardon me, sir, I'm Rebecca Smith from CNN. What's your name?
"Morris Feinberg," he replied.
"Sir, how long have you been coming to the Western Wall and praying?"
"For about 60 years."
"60 years! That's amazing! What do you pray for?"
"I pray for peace between the Christians, Jews and the Muslims."
"I pray for all the wars and all the hatred to stop."
"I pray for all our children to grow up safely as responsible adults and to
love their fellow man."
"I pray that politicians tell us the truth and put the interests of the people ahead of their own interests."
The journalist then asked, "How do you feel after doing this for 60 years?"
"Like I'm talking to a wall."
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Lies and more lies? The EC must go
[Kuala Lumpur June 26] The government has spent RM400 million for the indelible ink during the 13th general election, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said today.
In a written reply to Lim Lip Eng (DAP-Segambut), Najib, who is also finance minister, clarified there was no chemical used in the indelible ink but instead, it was replaced with an approved food colouring.
“The expiry date for the indelible ink is four months from the date it was manufactured. The inks were imported from overseas.
“The resistance of the indelible ink is subject to the individual and the effort used to get rid of the permanent ink,” he said.
Najib added that the public tests on the indelible ink made by Election Commission officers to the media on May 2 proved that the ink was permanent as previously stated.
Lim in his question asked the prime minister to state the total expenditure as well as the contractors who supplied the indelible ink used during the national polls.
Najib had also confirmed that a total of 216,600 bottles were distributed across the country.
Johor had the highest number with 38,160 bottles followed by Selangor (32,040), Perak (20,640), Sarawak (18,000) and Sabah (16,800).
EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof has previously claimed the indelible ink had a high level of silver nitrate and herbal ingredients were used as substitute as the reason why ink was easily removed.
[Source: Yahoo]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
First, the EC said that the ink was not effective because the officer did not shake the bottle. Then, came the excuse that a low amount of nitrate was used as it might affect the health of the person. If this was not bad enough, we were then told that there was no chemical at all in the ink but food colouring. Now, the latest, the ink costs the rakyat RM400m instead of the earlier declaration that RM7.1 was spent.
WHAT??!!!! RM400m!!!! They distributed about 200,000 bottles. Therefore the cost per bottle works out to be RM2000!!! RM2000 per bottle for food colouring. Somebody sure made a lot of money!!! It is no wonder that they dare not reveal the name of the supplier!!!
In a written reply to Lim Lip Eng (DAP-Segambut), Najib, who is also finance minister, clarified there was no chemical used in the indelible ink but instead, it was replaced with an approved food colouring.
“The expiry date for the indelible ink is four months from the date it was manufactured. The inks were imported from overseas.
“The resistance of the indelible ink is subject to the individual and the effort used to get rid of the permanent ink,” he said.
Najib added that the public tests on the indelible ink made by Election Commission officers to the media on May 2 proved that the ink was permanent as previously stated.
Lim in his question asked the prime minister to state the total expenditure as well as the contractors who supplied the indelible ink used during the national polls.
Najib had also confirmed that a total of 216,600 bottles were distributed across the country.
Johor had the highest number with 38,160 bottles followed by Selangor (32,040), Perak (20,640), Sarawak (18,000) and Sabah (16,800).
EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof has previously claimed the indelible ink had a high level of silver nitrate and herbal ingredients were used as substitute as the reason why ink was easily removed.
[Source: Yahoo]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
First, the EC said that the ink was not effective because the officer did not shake the bottle. Then, came the excuse that a low amount of nitrate was used as it might affect the health of the person. If this was not bad enough, we were then told that there was no chemical at all in the ink but food colouring. Now, the latest, the ink costs the rakyat RM400m instead of the earlier declaration that RM7.1 was spent.
WHAT??!!!! RM400m!!!! They distributed about 200,000 bottles. Therefore the cost per bottle works out to be RM2000!!! RM2000 per bottle for food colouring. Somebody sure made a lot of money!!! It is no wonder that they dare not reveal the name of the supplier!!!
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Ouch! It must have hurt bad for Chua Soi Lek
The Sultan of Johor wants all parties, to stop bickering about Datuk Tee Siew Kiong’s appointment as the state executive member.
A statement issued by Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar via his private secretary Jaba Mohd Noah said – “Tee’s appointment as an executive member was the Sultan’s choice and it was his right to choose his line-up of the state executive council members under Phase 4 Section II of the Johor State Constitution 1895.
“All parties including MCA party members and leaders are asked to respect Sultan Ibrahim’s decision (of appointing Tee) and should stop questioning his capacity as the Sultan of Johor.
Sultan Ibrahim appointed Tee, as he wanted a representative from all the races to represent his multi-racial subjects.
Also stated was that Sultan Ibrahim is not required to seek anyone’s opinion or suggestion before appointing his preferred state executive council members' line-up, nor does a need arise for him to explain the reason he appointed Tee.
“Whatever issue pertaining his (Tee’s) political party should stay within the party, and his appointment by the Sultan of Johor, as an executive council member should never be questioned or politicalised.
“Even though he is sacked from his political party, he is still an executive council member appointed by the Sultan of Johor.
“Any action taken by his political party and party leaders towards him (Tee) are their prerogative and their internal affair.
The Sultan of Johor do not wish to interfere in the affairs of any political parties, and also do not want any political parties to interfere in his State affairs.
Sultan Ibrahim wishes that his subjects stay united, and their welfare will always be the state’s priority despite their belief or race.
Sultan Ibrahim has instructed that all parties stop arising issues with Tee’s appointment.
Tee's appointment was the decree of the Sultan of Johor, to enable a Chinese to represent the community in the state administrations.
The above statement by HRH Sultan of Johore must have been a real slap in the face of Chua Soi Lek.
Democracy is dead in Malaysia
If Umno Baru have nothing to fear and the Election Commission (EC) claims that it is independent, why were they afraid to use indelible ink in previous elections?
Both Umno Baru and the EC want to bury this indelible ink story quickly. Don’t let them. The use of the indelible ink is the single, most important factor that would have ensured the defeat of Umno Baru in the polls. Effective indelible ink will prevent people from voting multiple times.
Both the EC and Umno Baru have lied; if they claim to be fair and to have done nothing wrong, they should have a re-run of the election. Who has the RM7.1 million? Did we buy some of the most expensive food colouring in the world?
Gerrymandering and the other tricks which Umno Baru and the EC employ to cheat are effective up to a point, but with indelible ink, the police, the army, the illegal immigrants, the Umno Baru agents and the pseudo foreigners holding Malaysian ICs will not be able to cast their votes several times and so ensure a win for BN.
Both Umno Baru and the EC have, for successive general elections, prevaricated over the use of indelible ink, or found last-minute excuses not to use it. In GE13 they simply tampered with the product and told bare-faced lies about the ink.
In 2008, the use of indelible ink in GE12 was stopped at the last minute. At a forum on ‘Free and Fair Elections: Reality or Illusion?’ in Kota Baru in January 2012, the former EC chairperson Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman claimed that the EC was banned from using indelible ink in GE12 because it contravened Article 119 of the federal constitution.
PAS vice-president Husam Musa had challenged this and said that Abdul Rashid had announced on national television then, that the ban was for security concerns. Abdul Rashid had claimed that various people had obtained a similar ink and were using it to trick rural Malaysians into staining their fingers before voting.
Husam said: “This means that Rashid was made to lie to the people,” and added that in 2007, the Fatwa Council had approved the use of the ink.
Former minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz confessed that it was he who had prevented the use of the indelible ink prior to the 2008 general election.
He cited constitutional concerns and the worry that Muslims would be unable to perform the proper ablutions for prayers. He denied Husam’s claim that the Fatwa Council had endorsed the use of indelible ink in the 2008 general election.
Chronology of lies
Then, like now, Umno Baru and its puppets cannot come up with one single lie.
On April 30, 2013, a week before the May 5 elections, soldiers were allowed to cast their votes first. One soldier claimed that he was able to wash the ink off his fingers, six hours after he voted.
On May 1, complaints about the indelible ink prompted EC secretary Kamaruddin Mohamed Baria to say that tests had shown that fingers painted with ink from shaken bottles lasted longer than the ink from bottles which had not been shaken.
The following day, May 2, Kamaruddin dismissed reports that the ink was washable. He stressed that traces of the ink could be seen with a magnifying glass and that officers would be supplied with magnifying glass for checking the presence of ink.
Kamaruddin said his staff had found handling the indelible ink nerve-wracking and consequently failed to follow instructions on its proper use and application. He criticised the people who had complained about the washable ink as having ‘ill intentions’ towards the EC.
In an interview with the Straits Times of Singapore on May 12, EC chairperson Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof claimed that silver nitrate in the ink was dangerous, and that the Health Ministry had warned about the possible damage to kidneys and risk of cancer.
Meanwhile, a mainstream paper claimed on May 29 that several people had been harassed for lodging police reports on the indelible ink.
On June 6, Health Minister Dr S Subramaniam scotched Abdul Aziz’s claim and denied issuing a report about the harmful risks to health from silver nitrate.
On June 17, Abdul Aziz (left) then blamed God for the poor performance of the ink. The ink had been tested prior to GE13 and he said: “On the much-awaited day, the power of Allah is greater when the ink could disappear after being washed several times. Where is the mistake?” [sic]
On June 21, the EC vice-chairperson Wan Ahmad Wan Omar said a special internal team would be formed to discover if the ink had suffered from internal sabotage.
He said, “There are many forms of EC staff, and we do not know their intention. Hence, the need for an in-depth investigation to find the truth.
“Could the indelible ink not last long because of its quality or is it the fault of the EC officer who applied it or are there elements of sabotage? We are puzzled as to why the ink does not last long.”
On June 26, Shahidan Kassim (right), the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, said the ink was actually food colouring. He said, “No chemicals were used in the ink, they were instead replaced with food colouring ingredients which were approved.”
Shahidan declined to reveal the name of the company which had supplied the ink for “security reasons”.
Investigations by Rafizi Ramli, the MP for Pandan, revealed that the EC contract for the supply of the indelible ink had been given to a company owned by a Singaporean.
Rafizi alleged that the company had no experience in this line of work, nor did it have the necessary funds, and had been forced to obtain a loan, from a Kampang Baru businessman, for the RM7 million needed to purchase the ink.
Wan Ahmad told an online portal on June 26, that silver nitrate is not a chemical but a metal. He could not carry out his job at the EC responsibly and now aspires to be a chemist; but seems to have a dearth of knowledge as a chemist.
Meaningless politics
On June 27, the Federal Territories Minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said that Malaysia is “not a Third World country” and so does not need indelible ink in its elections. He said that Parliament agreed to its use because “the opposition wanted it”.
Tengku Adnan is wrong. It was the rakyat who wanted the indelible ink as part of its clean and fair election demand. Ku Nan also claimed that chemicals in the ink were not good for the health of the people. He said, “The chemicals were reduced because the government cares for the people.”
We already know from Shahidan that there were no chemicals in the ink. So who is telling the truth?
By June 28, various NGOs were demanding details of the supplier of the ink.
Despite the lies and furore surrounding the indelible ink, Wan Ahmad said that the ink would be used in the Kuala Besut by-election in Terengganu.
Malaysia does not have a free press, an independent EC, judiciary or police force. Our civil service is corrupt and ineffective and we have no idea how our tax money is being spent.
In other words, politics in Malaysia are meaningless, although our leaders pat themselves on the back for having the “best democracy in the world”.
Allegations abound that since former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad won his first election, he has bribed or fudged the results of each election.
Successive BN governments have continued this practice of cheating and instead of the government of the day looking after our interests, Malaysian governance is like a lopsided game, where a handful of individuals fight for their own interests.
Rural and conservative voters are swayed by traditional values and stability. They are not convinced by personal freedom and liberal thoughts.
Democracy is dead in Malaysia. Umno-Baru leaders only use the concept of democracy as a tool to swindle the rakyat. Individuals in BN use democracy to increase their personal profit and enhance the party’s dominance, which is not unlike the politburo of the Chinese Communist Party who enjoyed benefits which were denied to the rest of the country.
Indelible ink, which will last for more than a week, will restore democracy to Malaysia and smite the foes of the rakyat.
[Article by Mariam Mokhtar]
Both Umno Baru and the EC want to bury this indelible ink story quickly. Don’t let them. The use of the indelible ink is the single, most important factor that would have ensured the defeat of Umno Baru in the polls. Effective indelible ink will prevent people from voting multiple times.
Both the EC and Umno Baru have lied; if they claim to be fair and to have done nothing wrong, they should have a re-run of the election. Who has the RM7.1 million? Did we buy some of the most expensive food colouring in the world?
Gerrymandering and the other tricks which Umno Baru and the EC employ to cheat are effective up to a point, but with indelible ink, the police, the army, the illegal immigrants, the Umno Baru agents and the pseudo foreigners holding Malaysian ICs will not be able to cast their votes several times and so ensure a win for BN.
Both Umno Baru and the EC have, for successive general elections, prevaricated over the use of indelible ink, or found last-minute excuses not to use it. In GE13 they simply tampered with the product and told bare-faced lies about the ink.In 2008, the use of indelible ink in GE12 was stopped at the last minute. At a forum on ‘Free and Fair Elections: Reality or Illusion?’ in Kota Baru in January 2012, the former EC chairperson Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman claimed that the EC was banned from using indelible ink in GE12 because it contravened Article 119 of the federal constitution.
PAS vice-president Husam Musa had challenged this and said that Abdul Rashid had announced on national television then, that the ban was for security concerns. Abdul Rashid had claimed that various people had obtained a similar ink and were using it to trick rural Malaysians into staining their fingers before voting.
Husam said: “This means that Rashid was made to lie to the people,” and added that in 2007, the Fatwa Council had approved the use of the ink.
Former minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz confessed that it was he who had prevented the use of the indelible ink prior to the 2008 general election.
He cited constitutional concerns and the worry that Muslims would be unable to perform the proper ablutions for prayers. He denied Husam’s claim that the Fatwa Council had endorsed the use of indelible ink in the 2008 general election.
Chronology of lies
Then, like now, Umno Baru and its puppets cannot come up with one single lie.
On April 30, 2013, a week before the May 5 elections, soldiers were allowed to cast their votes first. One soldier claimed that he was able to wash the ink off his fingers, six hours after he voted.
On May 1, complaints about the indelible ink prompted EC secretary Kamaruddin Mohamed Baria to say that tests had shown that fingers painted with ink from shaken bottles lasted longer than the ink from bottles which had not been shaken.The following day, May 2, Kamaruddin dismissed reports that the ink was washable. He stressed that traces of the ink could be seen with a magnifying glass and that officers would be supplied with magnifying glass for checking the presence of ink.
Kamaruddin said his staff had found handling the indelible ink nerve-wracking and consequently failed to follow instructions on its proper use and application. He criticised the people who had complained about the washable ink as having ‘ill intentions’ towards the EC.
In an interview with the Straits Times of Singapore on May 12, EC chairperson Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof claimed that silver nitrate in the ink was dangerous, and that the Health Ministry had warned about the possible damage to kidneys and risk of cancer.
Meanwhile, a mainstream paper claimed on May 29 that several people had been harassed for lodging police reports on the indelible ink.
On June 6, Health Minister Dr S Subramaniam scotched Abdul Aziz’s claim and denied issuing a report about the harmful risks to health from silver nitrate.
On June 17, Abdul Aziz (left) then blamed God for the poor performance of the ink. The ink had been tested prior to GE13 and he said: “On the much-awaited day, the power of Allah is greater when the ink could disappear after being washed several times. Where is the mistake?” [sic]On June 21, the EC vice-chairperson Wan Ahmad Wan Omar said a special internal team would be formed to discover if the ink had suffered from internal sabotage.
He said, “There are many forms of EC staff, and we do not know their intention. Hence, the need for an in-depth investigation to find the truth.
“Could the indelible ink not last long because of its quality or is it the fault of the EC officer who applied it or are there elements of sabotage? We are puzzled as to why the ink does not last long.”
On June 26, Shahidan Kassim (right), the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, said the ink was actually food colouring. He said, “No chemicals were used in the ink, they were instead replaced with food colouring ingredients which were approved.”Shahidan declined to reveal the name of the company which had supplied the ink for “security reasons”.
Investigations by Rafizi Ramli, the MP for Pandan, revealed that the EC contract for the supply of the indelible ink had been given to a company owned by a Singaporean.
Rafizi alleged that the company had no experience in this line of work, nor did it have the necessary funds, and had been forced to obtain a loan, from a Kampang Baru businessman, for the RM7 million needed to purchase the ink.
Wan Ahmad told an online portal on June 26, that silver nitrate is not a chemical but a metal. He could not carry out his job at the EC responsibly and now aspires to be a chemist; but seems to have a dearth of knowledge as a chemist.
Meaningless politics
On June 27, the Federal Territories Minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said that Malaysia is “not a Third World country” and so does not need indelible ink in its elections. He said that Parliament agreed to its use because “the opposition wanted it”.
Tengku Adnan is wrong. It was the rakyat who wanted the indelible ink as part of its clean and fair election demand. Ku Nan also claimed that chemicals in the ink were not good for the health of the people. He said, “The chemicals were reduced because the government cares for the people.”
We already know from Shahidan that there were no chemicals in the ink. So who is telling the truth?
By June 28, various NGOs were demanding details of the supplier of the ink.
Despite the lies and furore surrounding the indelible ink, Wan Ahmad said that the ink would be used in the Kuala Besut by-election in Terengganu. Malaysia does not have a free press, an independent EC, judiciary or police force. Our civil service is corrupt and ineffective and we have no idea how our tax money is being spent.
In other words, politics in Malaysia are meaningless, although our leaders pat themselves on the back for having the “best democracy in the world”.
Allegations abound that since former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad won his first election, he has bribed or fudged the results of each election.
Successive BN governments have continued this practice of cheating and instead of the government of the day looking after our interests, Malaysian governance is like a lopsided game, where a handful of individuals fight for their own interests.
Rural and conservative voters are swayed by traditional values and stability. They are not convinced by personal freedom and liberal thoughts.
Democracy is dead in Malaysia. Umno-Baru leaders only use the concept of democracy as a tool to swindle the rakyat. Individuals in BN use democracy to increase their personal profit and enhance the party’s dominance, which is not unlike the politburo of the Chinese Communist Party who enjoyed benefits which were denied to the rest of the country.
Indelible ink, which will last for more than a week, will restore democracy to Malaysia and smite the foes of the rakyat.
[Article by Mariam Mokhtar]
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