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speak up!
It is
difficult
to draw
A gift by any other name
THE upcoming Kuala Tereng- and protested that we bungalow with all
told us how he received a tidy
sum after an interview with
a candidate – a fiduciary gift
given willingly although he said
he did not ask for it.
Those who had forgotten the
reason they became journalists
and yes, even the journalists
who follow the candidates on
the campaign trail, with some
newsmen even picking more
“lucrative” candidates.
What does the election com-
mission have to say? Although
the line, ganu by-election brings to mind could not accept the the trimmings and or were in the industry for all the such practices are against the
an incident at a previous elec- money. “It is for your facilities of modern wrong reasons, even went on to rules, it is hard to enforce them
but one tion. troubles since you comfort. goad some of his colleagues and due to lack of proof.
thing’s My colleague and I had came from afar,” said This must have counterparts to “Ask-lah. Sure Having said that, how does
for sure it waited for over an hour for a one of them, to which got him thinking they’ll give if you ask.” one differentiate the outright
is during candidate to turn up and meet we said it was un- that we would While I am not covering the giving of money with say, pro-
voters at a balairaya in a vil- necessary as we were probably write a Kuala Terengganu by-election, viding blankets to fire victims
every lage. amply compensated stinging piece about my hunch tells me that those or food hampers to the poor or
election After a brief chat with us, for our “troubles” by money politics and with large budgets would prob- even a road and piped water
that the the candidate shook our hands our company. hesitantly took the ably be throwing money around. and electricity to a remote vil-
people get and leapt into a four-wheel- “This is ikhlas Down2Earth cash back from us. The problem is such practices lage?
what they drive which would take him to (genuine),” he insisted. Money being have become widespread, that It is difficult to draw the line,
another venue. To this, my colleague by Terence Fernandez used as a carrot in it blurs the lines between what but one thing’s for sure it is
want even It was only a matter of sec- said, it would be better elections is nothing is appropriate and what is not. during every election that the
without onds but before we knew it, we to use the money for the kam- new, and every poll – be it a Some individuals, like the aide people get what they want even
asking for realised that each handshake pong folk, many of whom lived by-election or general election of the candidate in the earlier without asking for it – well,
it – well, also concealed a RM100 note in hardship, some who lived in will toss up its own fair share election truly think that there is most of the time anyway.
pressed into each of our palms. dilapidated conditions, without of accusations of bribing voters nothing wrong in dishing out a
most of As the Yang Berhormat piped water, while the po- into casting their votes for a par- few hundred ringgit to a group
the time wannabe had already left by litically-appointed village head ticular candidate or the media of journalists and well-wishers. Terence hopes his counterparts
anyway. then we turned to his aides lived next door in a swanky to ensure favourable coverage. But because such practices covering the Kuala Terengganu
are becoming a common part of by-election will uphold the
any election, many people down journalistic code of conduct. He
the line have begun to expect is deputy editor special reports
it – the crowds that gather to & investigations and can be con-
welcome a candidate; the vil- tacted at terence@thesundaily.
lagers who are asked to fill up com
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