Election fraud check: Borang 13 and Borang 14

Posted by prema on 30 June 2013 Add comments The transparency of the polling and counting process on polling day does not preclude other types of alleged electoral fraud, says Prema Devaraj.

The results of the 13th General Elections have been met with allegations of electoral fraud and offences including extra boxes being introduced, phantom voters, displaced voters, indelible ink washing off, vote buying and so on.

To help clarify some aspects, this article focuses on the way in which the polling process and the recording of votes takes place on polling day. The key roles of two forms used on polling day Borang 13 (Ballot Paper Statement) Subregulation 24(1) and Borang 14 (Statement of the Poll after Counting the Ballot) Subregulation 25(12) from the Elections (Conduct of Elections) Regulations 1981are highlighted as both these forms help to reduce the chances of electoral fraud by ensuring the transparency and accountability of the polling and counting process. We are using the parliamentary constituency of Sungai Siput as an example. Sungai Siput parliamentary constituency PO62 For this last election, the Sungai Siput parliamentary constituency had 51,596 registered voters and consisted of two state seats Lintang (N21) and Jalong (N22). Each state constituency is divided into voting districts. Lintang has 26 voting districts and Jalong has 12 voting districts. (Table: first column)

Each voting district has a corresponding locality i.e., a school in which people from that voting district go to vote. Each locality has one or more voting streams i.e. classrooms in the school in which voting takes place depending on the number of voters registered to vote in that locality. In total, Lintang had 49 voting streams and Jalong had 52 voting streams as shown in the Table (4th column). Clearly this type of information (together with the electoral roll for the constituency) is crucial for every candidate (and indeed for public knowledge) but at the moment it is only available at a price (approximately RM200) either as a hard copy (a set of books for each state constituency) or in a CD prior to nomination day. The candidate can then compare this information with that of the previous election to see whether new voting districts have been added or if there has been a sudden increase or decrease in the number of voters registered in any one voting district. And of course with this information the candidate and his/her team can organise the recruitment and placement of polling and counting agents. Polling and counting agents (Pacaba) Polling and counting agents play an absolutely crucial role in protecting the candidates interest and ensuring that the process of polling and subsequent counting is transparent. But as can be seen from the Table, the implications for (volunteer) human resources are considerable. Sungai Siput had 101 voting streams. If the ideal situation is to have two shifts of polling agents (morning and afternoon) and a separate shift for counting agents, then over 300 people are needed! In the Sungai Siput scenario, the decision was to have two shifts with the second shift of polling agents doubling up as counting agents. And it isnt just on the day. Polling and counting agents need to be told about the procedures, their responsibilities, what to look out for, how to object if something is not right, and the purpose and how forms should be filled. So briefing sessions prior to polling day were held and people had to give up an evening to come and sit through this. A few volunteers had previously undergone Pacaba training by Tindak Malaysia. Recruiting sufficient numbers of polling/counting agents is always an interesting endeavor. There were many willing volunteers who wanted to be or agreed to be part of the democratic process for change (including those from outside Sungai Siput i.e., from Cameron Highlands, Seremban, Kuala Lumpur, Taiping, Ipoh and Penang). There were one or two who wanted to know if they would get paid and were told this wasnt that type of candidate; a few were worried about trouble in the evening and needed reassurance and of course there were a few who could only do a two-hour shift

and they were duly accommodated. Needless to say everyone, to their credit, persevered despite the lack of payment and the duration of their duties. Polling Day The first shift of polling agents arrived at the Sungai Siput service centre by 6.30am. They collected their files and identification tags, had some breakfast and went off to their voting streams. Before polling began at 8.00am, the Ketua Tempat Mengundi (KTM) or Presiding Officer in each voting stream recorded the number of the ballot papers in that particular voting stream in Part A of Borang 13 (for example, 0001-0050; 0051-0100, etc.) This way, the total number of ballot papers in a voting stream is known at the start of polling. At the end of the day there cannot be more than this number in the ballot box. In addition, there cannot be ballot papers in the ballot box with different serial numbers than the ones recorded in the morning. The polling agents are present early in the morning to witness this. Figure 1 is an example of Borang 13 from the EC Guidebook for Counting Agents May 2012. At lunch time, the second shift of polling agents (who would later double up as counting agents in the Sungai Siput scenario) were sent off from the bilik gerak with their tags and again with reminders to make sure Borang 13 is completed properly, please count properly and dont go for teh tarik, bring back Borang 14 first! When voting stops at 5.00pm (except in the four Orang Asli voting districts where it stops earlier), the ballot boxes are sealed. The KTM completes Borang 13 by recording the serial numbers of the ballot papers issued to the voters (Part B), spoilt ballot papers ( i.e. those returned to KTM, marked spoilt and not put in ballot box) (Part C) and unused ballot papers (Part D). The total number of ballot slips to be accounted for in the ballot box at the end of the voting day (i.e. Part A Part C Part D) is recorded in Part E of Borang 13. This document is signed by the KTM and also by the polling agents present as stated in Regulation 24(1)(c) Elections Regulation 1981. This means that the polling agent of each candidate has a chance to check the details recorded at each stream and sign off on those (Figure 1).

Counting the votes Once Borang 13 is completed, the KTM will open the ballot boxes (two in each voting stream; one for parliamentary seat and one for state seat) in the presence of the counting agents and the ballot papers will be counted. First, the total number of ballot papers is counted. This number should tally with the number stated in Borang 13 Part E. If the number is less than what is stated in Borang 13 (e.g., the voter did not use his/her ballot paper), counting continues. If there are more, a couple of things should take place. Firstly the recording in Borang 13 is checked for any error. Next, the ballot papers are inspected for the official perforation mark/stamp of that voting stream. Ballot papers which do not have the official mark are removed (Regulation 25, Third Schedule, Elections Regulation 1981).

If after this the numbers are still higher than that stated in Part E Borang 13, counting agents were told to insist that the serial numbers of the ballot slips be checked against what was recorded in Borang 13 Part B. Ballot papers with serial numbers which dont match should be rejected. Once this has been settled, the counting commences with ballot papers now being separated according to the candidates/parties voted for. Counting agents need to pay attention to ensure accurate counting (i.e. that votes are accurately determined for the candidate, that 10 ballot papers are counted as 10 and not more or less and doubtful ballot papers are sorted out properly). Assuming that there are enough agents and that they do their job, this process is open and clear. NB: A recount can only take place in the voting stream. If the difference of votes for the highest and second highest candidate differs by 4 per cent or less of the total valid votes cast, a counting agent can ask for a recount once; however, the KTM can order a recount at his discretion (Regulations 25(13) and (14) Elections Regulation 1981). Borang 14 After the counting has been done the KTM fills up Borang 14 in the presence of the counting agents. This is the official vote count from that particular voting stream. The first part of the Borang 14, Part A, states the number of ballot papers in the ballot box (this is the same as Part E of Borang 13). Part B is a record of the number of votes cast for each contesting candidate. Part C records the number of rejected/spoilt ballot papers. Part D is the number of ballot slips issued to voters but not put into the ballot box. This form is signed by the KTM and the counting agents present. A copy of this form is given to the counting agent as stipulated in Regulation 25(12)(b) and (b) (ii) Elections Regulation 1981. The counting agent must ask for this in case this does not happen. It is the duty of the KTM to prepare sufficient number of Borang 14 for each of the counting agents. The counting agent upon leaving the voting stream passes his/her copy of Borang 14 specific to that voting stream to the candidate. This means that the candidate will be receiving Borang 14 from his counting agents from all the voting streams and is able to calculate the total number of votes he has received. Figure 2 is an example of Borang 14 from the SPR Guidebook for Counting Agents May 2012.

Main tally centre (MTC) After this, the ballot boxes from the voting streams are taken to the MTC with the accompanying Borang 14 by EC officials. At the MTC, the official totalling up of all the 7

Borang 14s from all the various voting streams for both the parliamentary and state seats takes place. There is no more counting of votes here. For the Sungai Siput Parliamentary and State seat, there were 103 Borang 14s (including those for postal votes and early votes) for each seat. The tallying of votes at the MTC matched the candidates calculations based on the copies of the Borang 14 which his counting agents had passed to him. Points to consider If all the polling day processes have been properly carried out, monitored and recorded, the chances of a sudden introduction of a mysterious ballot box with votes to swing the final count at the MTC is very difficult to do. The information on existing voting localities, the number of boxes from the voting districts/streams, the corresponding Borang 13/14 and the candidates counting agents signature on Borang 14 make this type of fraud difficult to pull off. It would be spotted immediately by the candidate monitoring the situation and an objection made. In Sungai Siput, the parliamentary candidate was able to ascertain that there was no fiddling of the results with regards to the tallying or announcing of the results of Borang 14. Furthermore, to avoid confusion or disappointment or accusations of foul play, results should not be released until all the Borang 14s have been totalled up. A candidate may or may not have uniform support from voters in the various voting districts. So as the different Borang 14s are brought from the various voting localities/streams to the MTC and totalling up is taking place, there can be fluctuations in who has more votes at a particular point in time of the tallying of votes and misreporting can take place. Transparency of the electoral process on the day but In going through the process of polling and counting, it is hoped there is a better understanding how, on polling day, there are safeguards to prevent fraud during the polling and counting process. But it does depend on the active monitoring of the polling and counting agents. Furthermore, the transparency of the polling and counting process on polling day does not discount the other types of alleged electoral fraud including irregular electoral rolls, voters being removed or displaced from the rolls, phantom voters, double voting, the uneven delineation of constituencies, vote buying, and indelible ink being washed off. These must be urgently addressed by the EC. There is obviously widespread public disquiet at the role and conduct of the EC and there is a big task ahead of it if it is to regain its credibility.

The general election is when the people determine through their votes who will govern them. In respecting the choices of the people, it is imperative that there is transparency in and accountability at all levels and in every stage of the electoral process so that the outcomes, whatever they may be, can be trusted and respected by the people. Lets all work constructively towards that. We probably have five years to make it happen for next time around!

About Prema Devaraj

Dr Prema Devaraj, an executive committee member of Aliran, is also programme consultant with the Womens Centre for Change, Penang.

EXPOSED: Post-election payouts in Penang

Posted by Aliran on 12 May 2013 Following tip-offs from the public, an Aliran special investigation team checked out a shoplot in Penang and came away astounded by what was happening in broad daylight.

Payout time! Janji ditepati 9

Yesterday, Aliran members received tip-offs from the public about a payout to voters: it is payout time for voters in the Parliamentary constituency of Balik Pulau and the three state seats under it. Voters there are given RM200 each by dont know who. You may file a report on this menace as the exercise to pay voters is ongoing. I saw it yesterday, where long queues formed outside a shophouse in Sungai Dua, Penang. Opposite TESCO extra, behind Magnum 4D. This outlet which (allegedly) collects illegal 4d bets and also (acts) as an illegal gambling centre is paying out, and the exercise is continuing today, I was told.

You help me, I help you? Another member of the public sent us a tip-off with this message: Attached promissory note given by agents of BN Bayan Lepas. In the event of BN victory in Bayan Lepas, RM160 will be paid to the holder (see voucher above). This receipt shows S38, which presumably relates to the N38 Bayan Lepas state seat. As it turned out, N38 was won by Noordin Ahmad of the BN, who increased his majority from 399 votes in 2008 to 458 this time. An Aliran special investigation team decided to follow through on these tip-offs. We found the shophouse at about 11.15am today with a long line of people waiting in the corridor. At the ground floor was a little outlet with a Celcom sign with a cloth banner hanging outside saying: Give me 5.

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The primary focus appeared to be the Balik Pulau parliamentary seat, which was won by Hilmi Yahaya. He polled 22318 votes, defeating the PKR candidate, Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik, by a 1539-vote majority. This was a winnable seat for the BN as in the 2008 general election, Yusmadi Yusoff of PKR had clinched the seat, squeezing through with a 708-vote majority. (Yusmadi was not selected this time around to defend the seat for PKR.) We managed to get hold of two slips from people who had been standing in line. Both returned disappointed when they found out they were not eligible to claim their money as the BN candidates had failed to win in their respective areas.

No such luck, the BN guy didnt win here.

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A woman and her daughter showed us their voucher inscribed with S35. S35 presumably relates to N35 Batu Uban, won by PKRs Dr T Jayabalan. The two women were crestfallen: We were unable to claim the money as the BN candidate didnt win.

Too bad, the BN man didnt win. Similarly the holder of S32 was unable to claim his winnings. S32 presumably relates to N32 Seri Delima, a seat won by Sanisvara Nethaji Rayer a/l Rajaji of the DAP. No win for the BN in that seat. But those under N38 Bayan Lepas and N40 Teluk Bahang (both won by the BN) were able to receive the money, according to our conversations with a couple of successful claimants, which we recorded on audio. Apparently, the payouts today were being made from 11.00am to 7.00pm, and this was the third day of payments. Look at this long line of people today: Incredibly, the organisers were brazenly conducting this payout just nine doors away from a police station in the next block. Unfortunately, the police were out on patrol. This was the sign at the front door of the station:

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Payouts were also made yesterday until the evening. Those who came late were told to come again today as payments for the day had already been made. Over in Pulau Betong, also under the Balik Pulau parliamentary seat, something similar was happening, according to new Bayan Baru MP Sim Sze Tzin of PKR. At a shack in a kampung next to a seafood eatery, some 200 people were queuing up in four lines of about 50 people each to collect amounts ranging from RM160 to RM200, similar to what was being paid out in the shoplot we checked. The vouchers indicated these were for S38 (presumably N38 Bayan Lepas) and mostly for S39 (presumably N39 Pulau Betong), said Sim. N38 Bayan Lepas was won by Noordin Ahmad of Umno-BN with an increased majority of 458 votes (previously 399). Farid Saad of Umno-BN won the N39 Pulau Betong seat with a majority of 395 votes, up from 294 in 2008. Sim said that when he and and former Penang Speaker Abdul Halim Hussain turned up at Pulau Betong, the organisers of the payout fled from the scene. Abdul Halim had just lost in the N40 Teluk Bahang state seat to an Umno-BN candidate by 801 votes. N40 is the third seat in P53 Balik Pulau, along with N38 Bayan Lepas and N39 Pulau Betong. Bakhtiar, who lost in Balik Pulau, made a report at the Pulau Betong Police Station, and it was accepted, Sim added. But he was also told that the authority with the proper jurisdiction in this matter is the MACC. Abdul Halim meanwhile is expected to lodge a report with the MACC. If this sort of thing can happen in broad daylight in a developed state like Penang, just imagine what is going on in the rural and interior areas where there is little public scrutiny. The mind boggles. Clean and fair elections? You tell us.

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BINGO! Photos show payouts linked to BN winning seats

Posted by Aliran on 17 May 2013 Continuing our expose, we present compelling photographic evidence that the post-polls payouts in Penang were linked to state seats which the BN had won.

The notice shows a series of numbers that correspond with Umno-BN winning seats in Penang. Thats Bayan Baru MP Sim Tze Tzin and former Penang Speaker Abdul Halim (who was defeated in N40 Teluk Bahang) next to the notice. Study the numbers in the pale yellow notice stuck on the shutter of a shoplot off Jalan Sungai Dua in Penang, where the payouts were being made over three days last weekend. How many numbers in the two columns of the notice? Ten, right. The BN won ten state seats in Penang out of 40. Coincidence? Now compare each number (N1, N2, N3, N4, N5, N6, N21, N38, N39 and N40) with the election results of the state seats bearing the same numbers, which can be found on the Election Commission website. Go on, check it out yourself. Select Pulau Pinang under Sila Pilih DUN untuk negeri. You will see that all 10 seats were won by Umno-BN! Still a coincidence? Moreover, a few of those who had turned up hoping to collect their money confirmed that the payments were only meant for those in areas where the BN had won.

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The long line of people queuing up to collect their money. The payments were made over three full days nine doors away from a police station.

Waiting patiently to collect their money. Can you imagine something like this happening?

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Former Penang Speaker Abdul Halim and Bayan Baru MP Sim Tze Tzin were left speechless! Now who is behind this scheme?

Abdul Halim (left) and Sim (right) speak to a youth facilitating the payouts. We have blurred his face as he could be a juvenile. One of those facilitating the payouts, a youth in a red T-shirt, didnt recognise Sim and Abdul Halim. The youth told the two politicians that the people lining up didnt need to produce a voucher; the organisers would check their names against their own database.

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Unbelievable: These were the vouchers that many in line were clutching. One person who had turned up to collect his money or out of curiosity told the Aliran special investigation team that the vouchers were obtained during a 1Malaysia dinner. When asked whether these vouchers were related to the 1Malaysia lucky draws, he said, Tak, ada satu meja ditepi di mana kami kena daftar.

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Another Penangite told an Aliran member: This is true. BN held several (yes, SEVERAL) 1Malaysia dinners at Teluk Bahang (N40). I attended one just out of curiousity the reps there gave the people RM160 vouchers and told them they could cash it when BN wins. I only stayed for a few minutes and felt that the whole experience was nauseating enough for me to leave. That is vote buying.

Some of the people outside the shoplot which has a Celcom sign. When a member of the Aliran special investigation team entered the little lot at the ground floor, he was told by one of the two men at the counter: Empat ekor. But the numbers on the notice outside are certainly not four-digit numbers!

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Reports have been lodged but so far, not a squeak from the authorities

BUSTED: Pulau Betong post-election payouts

Posted by Aliran on 14 May 2013 Aliran received photographs of another round of post-election payouts, this time in the Pulau Betong area, which also comes under the Balik Pulau parliamentary constituency.

A long line of people were queuing up to collect their winnings at a shack next to a seafood eatery in Pulau Betong At any one time, some 200 people were lining up in four lines of about 50 people each to claim their winnings using the vouchers they received when they registered before polling day. The vouchers were mainly for the N38 Bayan Lepas and mainly for the N39 Pulau Betong state seats. The payouts were made over three days on 10-12 May 2013. These photos were taken on the third and final day. N38 Bayan Lepas was won by Noordin Ahmad of Umno-BN with an increased majority of 458 votes (previously 399).

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Farid Saad of Umno-BN won the N39 Pulau Betong seat with a majority of 395 votes, up from 294 in 2008 These increased majorities enable BNs Hilmi Yahaya to snatch the P53 Balik Pulau parliamentary seat from PKR by a 1539-vote majority, overturning PKRs winning majority of 708 votes in 2008.

This is one of the lucky bonus vouchers, similar to the ones Aliran found off Jalan Sungai Dua, near USM.

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The PKR chaps (above) were aghast at what was going on.

The organisers of the payout bolted when they saw new Bayan Baru MP Sim Tze Tzin (right) and former Penang State Assembly speaker Abdul Halim Hussain approaching.

Reports have now been lodged with the police and the MACC. Clean and fair elections? You tell us.

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Electoral fraud: The view from Sungai Siput

Posted by Jeyakumar Devaraj on 15 May 2013 What trust we have in the Election Commission! Jeyakumar Devaraj reports his observations of the GE13 campaign process from Sungai Siput.

Ballot bags dropped from a helicopter There were many complaints of electoral irregularity if not fraud during the course of the PRU 13 campaign and during polling day. As this seems to be a hotly debated issue, I would like to share my experience as the candidate in Sg Siput. 1. There were many people who came claiming that their names were not on the SPR list of voters, though they had voted in previous elections. We have recorded their names down and intend to take this up with the SPR. 2. There were also others whose names were registered in the voting list of other constituencies though they had voted in Sungai Siput before and had not applied for a change in constituency. This too we intend to follow up. 3. It was painfully obvious that the BN campaign was far exceeding the RM200,000 expenditure limit for a parliamentary seat. Their flags, banners and posters themselves came to much more than that. House-owners who allowed the BN to tie banners on the fronts or sides of their houses were paid RM300! 4. There were numerous programmes during the campaign period when the BN gave out hampers, gift vouchers, conducted lucky draws with rice cookers and toasters as presents.

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5. There were several programmes where government agencies launched projects e.g. the ground-breaking for a new Tamil primary school and the handing out of Tekun loans amounting to RM2.5m to about 100 applicants. The BN candidates were the guests of honour in this sort of event while the opposition candidates were not invited. 6. Buses On polling day, our supporters found four tour buses parked in Sungai Siput. When my team and I arrived, there were no passengers in sight but the drivers said that they had brought Malaysians working in Singapore back to Perak to vote. We made a police report and the police detained the four buses and took statements from the drivers. We were given a list of 35 names by one of the bus drivers young Malays and Chinese mainly. No foreigners! When we contacted the handphone numbers recorded in this list, the people named confirmed that they had come on that bus from Johor to Perak on 3 May. We have not yet been able to identify the passengers from the other three buses, but intend to try and do so by contacting the companies. But we do not have any proof that these buses brought in foreign voters. In any case, our people in the pondok panas did not notice foreign-looking people trying to attend the voting centres. 7. The indelible ink that washed off! Many people complained about this. I called the returning officer and he said that perhaps the bottle of ink was not shaken properly! We advised all those complaining to make police reports. 8. Ballot boxes by helicopter. There are video postings of a young SPR officer guarding two yellow ballot bags in a field. That field happens to be in Sungai Buloh, Sungai Siput. They contained the 237 votes from Orang Asli voters in Kuala Mu. As was agreed, polling at Kuala Mu stopped at 2.00pm, and the votes were counted there in the presence of Pas counting agents. The Borang 14 was given to these counting agents, and the ballot papers were then sealed in these two bags and flown by helicopter to Sungai Siput. All these arrangements were made known to us on the afternoon of nomination day. So this is not evidence of any hanky panky here! But a crowd of about 500 Sungai Siput residents had surrounded the ballot bags, and it was only after I arrived and assured them that it was okay that they allowed the SPR to take these bags to the main counting centre. 9. Wilful delay in announcing the results This is one of the complaints. We got the copies of the Borang 14 from most of our polling centres by 8.00pm. By 8.30pm we knew we had won by about 2800 votes. However it took the SPR another five hours to announce the result. Painful, but there wasnt anything sinister in this.

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It was the process of tabulation the SPR required each of the 104 Ketua Tempat Mengundi to submit his Borang 14 to the Returning Officer, the ADO. This would be typed in and projected on to a screen to enable the candidates to cross-check against their own Borang 14. After a few minutes, an assistant to the Returning Officer would announce over the mike that vote results from such and such school had been accepted, and it would be added to the cumulative total. Openness and transparency can be timeconsuming!! 10. Entrance of eight SPR bags at 11.30pm Many people in the hall were alarmed when this happened. I was already about 5000 votes ahead when this happened, and many supporters were anxious that extra votes were being brought in to cheat us of our victory! Again, nothing sinister. The votes from three interior Orang Asli villages were not counted at site, though the process of voting was observed by our Paca. These votes were brought out by four-wheel drives to the District Office where they were counted under observation of my and Pas counting agents. The Undi Awal were also counted then. Apparently it was all done one by one which is why it took several hours to complete. These arrangements were made known to all parties contesting on Nomination Day itself. PRU 13 was not a fair one. The mainstream media and government agencies supported the BN shamelessly. Very openly! And the BN spent far more than the legally permitted limit for each constituency. There are serious lingering doubts about the authenticity of the voters lists. However, in Sg Siput we were not able to find conclusive evidence of significant cheating during the polling process. The sheer volume of complaints we received indicates how little trust the Malaysian public have in the SPR! And it is good to see that the Malaysian public are prepared to monitor the polling process itself to ensure it is not hijacked by any party. There is a much higher level of citizen activism to preserve the sanctity of the polling process compared to before. This is good for a democracy. Must say our thanks to the Bersih movement! And syabas to the general public! If we want a better system we have to put some effort into creating it!

About Jeyakumar Devaraj

Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj, a long-time Aliran member and contributor, is the Member of Parliament for Sungai Siput. A respiratory physician who was awarded a gold medal for 24

community service, he entered politics and scored a major upset in the 2008 general election when he defeated an incumbent heavyweight minister.

Umno-BN Buying low-income votes, appealing to middle-income greed

Posted by Aliran on 25 April After free dinners, now it is a lucky draw for free petrol vouchers with a free traffic jam thrown in, writes Rakyat Jelata.

The crowd around the car: What was going on? At 3.30pm today (24 April 2013), I saw a crowd of people gathered round my car which was parked in one of the bays in front of CIMB Bank, on the slip road along Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, Penang. I was at first alarmed, wondering if an accident had happened involving my parked car. On reaching the spot, I saw some men distributing what looked like slips of paper with the 1Malaysia logo. I asked a passer-by what this was all about, and he told me that they were distributing vouchers for free petrol worth RM50 to the public. This was certainly a God-sent photo opportunity to document another 1Malaysia farce so blatantly played out in the middle of the afternoon, causing another unjustified traffic jam on the slip road. People seemed to be coming from all directions, some taxi drivers, some members of the public in Perodua Kancil cars, and even persons in large MPVs, vans and other upmarket models.

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One can understand what RM50 of free petrol would mean to the taxi drivers whose earnings fluctuate from day to day, but for the business persons and upmarket car owners, this would only be an undeserved freebie i.e. a BN gift, or more likely an apparent bribe. Office workers were also pouring out of the buildings nearby, some out of curiosity, and some for the grab. Still, taking the bribe and voting for the other side, which seems to have become the justification for taking the opportunity to grab the handouts doesnt justify the greed that drives people to go on a grabbing rampage in disregard of those who better deserve it. Hopefully, this grab-all-you-can attitude will subside after the GE13 on 5 May and the public will come back to their senses. I had to wait for about 30 minutes before I could leave the parking bay, even though the crowd had moved on to the other side of the road, then further down. You will see why from this pictures taken.

A free 1Malaysia traffic jam The impression given by this distribution was that this was a free-giveaway, but, like all BN handouts, there is a catch to these so-called 1M RM50 petrol vouchers. These were NOT the vouchers themselves; in fact it was a distribution of forms to be entered for another lucky draw or lottery for lucky persons whose names, addresses and IC numbers would be pulled out of a hat. In my photo of the slip, you will see the words BORANG CABUTAN BERTUAH under the 1Malaysia logo. What a mean and cruel trick to play on the poor!

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The other sheet of paper that came with the borang. This is what the BN government will give the people if they ever come to power again. They will be a BIG HOAX, as they have been for the past 56 years. It is certainly time to wipe out corruption, exploitation and the mean contempt with which Umno-BNs hold the rakyat. It is time for the Rakyat to regain their dignity and humanity by withdrawing the mandate to govern from the Umno-BN autocrats!

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Hidup Rakyat! Bangkit Rakyat! Rakyat Jelata is the pseudonym of a regular contributor to our TA Online section

Handouts, free makan: Madu di tangan kanan mu

Posted by Aliran on 16 April 2013 The BN right hand gives to the lower income community, whilst the left hand of the BN rakes it back from them, into government and crony coffers, observes Rakyat Jelata.

Ive heard Najib Razak twice say to the electorate, No need to change the government to change the system. This rhetoric probably has been repeated more than twice and implied in so many ways through the gushing distribution of goodies coupled with promises of more in future. In the brief period of the run up to the GE13, the cash flow has been turned on full blast. The free flow of food in Penang in ubiquitous dinners around the island, tagged 1Malaysia Dinners, were not equally available for all who went there, as an attendee said there was no food, when she reached the dinner venue in her neighbourhood, and had to be content with only a drink. People armed with tiffin carriers and food containers, prepared for the big grab, were seen in the crowds. Well, what can we expect of BN organisers who are in the habit of cronyism, allowing some a larger portion than others. It doesnt come as a surprise that some people got nothing from this exhibition of pretentious generosity. Even the distribution of BR1M payouts is selective, again contradicting this widely publicised generosity. All this sudden gushing magnanimity is probably by nature only 28

a flash flood that will subside and dry up once the polls are over. This wont be because of the Pakatan Rakyat but, possibly due to the unsustainability of this so-called free-forall Santa-Claus-ism. There seems no ordered or logical long term plan, except for the widely advertised Bajet 2013- Janji Ditepati, but those are only advertisements, the details of which are speculative. There is so much fluff around, so much posturing and posing, so many breezy promises, doubtfully substantiated. Najib harps on the Umno-BN track record of 56 years governance. Yet, what does that track record also show? Despite, the superficial impression of glowing economic developmental achievement, allegedly equal to none, it is shadowed by rising corruption, cronyism and nepotism. This so-called wonder of Umno-BNs economic and financial management is the result of the suppression of human and democratic rights, exploitation of migrant and local labour, and an increasing concentration of wealth among elite and upper-middle classes. It ignores the widening gap between rich and poor, communal division, and increasing religious and cultural discrimination. The Rakyat pay the price of this prosperity exhibition, with credit for it going to the autocrats and technocrats holding the reins of governance. In what way, then, have the Rakyat benefited? The BR1M payouts seem to encourage price hikes of basic necessities. School students are known to give away the RM100 book vouchers, preferring to pay cash for books, as books bought for cash are cheaper than those obtained with the vouches, so-called low-cost housing must still be purchased with bank loans that must be repaid over time. In the same way, PTPTN study loans ultimately have to be repaid by parents and/or students without private means or scholarships for higher education. The Rakyat are expected to believe that easier repayment terms from banks will cause a debt to vanish. A debt is a debt. It will not be transformed into anything else, unless completely repaid or written off. Was free education or subsidised house prices ever mentioned by Najib? Did the UmnoBN ever utter a word on the abolition of GST or its cancellation? Did BN promise subsidies for food and other basic necessities e.g. fuel? All that is obvious here is, the BN right hand gives to the lower income community, whilst the left hand of the BN rakes it back from them, into government and crony coffers. So, before going through the motions of a so-called democratic process, ask the question, Can that tiger ever change its stripes? Selamat Mengundi!

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Rakyat Jelata is the pseudonym of an occasional contributor to our Thinking Allowed Online.

Fraud-mutilated system that angers people

Posted by Aliran on 27 May 2013 Ravinder Singh recalls how the electoral system was manipulated to secure a two-thirds victory for the BN over the years and concludes that gerrymandering is cheating, and cheating is haram in Islam.

Dear Home Minister, stop lying. Stop being in denial mode. Stop believing that all Malaysians will believe what you want them to believe. It is NOT the system that angers people, but the mischief, fraud, cunning, etc. that goes on behind the scenes to keep the dacing tilted to ensure BN victory all the time. It is the BN that is the actual loser this time around and it refuses to accept the fact that its gerrymandering game, coupled with all the corruption in cash and kind, was not good enough to secure it a two-thirds majority. Had it secured the coveted two-thirds majority after the tsunami of 2008, elections themselves could have become history. That is what a two-thirds majority, in the hands of a party obsessed with holding on to power at all costs, even by breaking bones and crushing bodies, could do amend the Constitution to do away with elections! 30

Fraud upon fraud For Home Minister and concurrently Umno vice president Zahid Hamidi to assert that it is the first-past-the-post electoral system that is to blame for the election results that enables a party winning 47 per cent of the popular vote to secure 60 per cent of the seats in Parliament and form the government, amounts to a fraud upon a fraud. The first fraud is the violation of the Constitutional directive that the number of voters in the constituencies should be approximately equal. To any reasonable person, approximately equal means a margin of tolerance of just a few percent. The independence Constitution (1957) had provided for a margin of 15 per cent difference. In 1962, the ruling party used its two-thirds majority to amend this Constitutional provision to 50 per cent. After this, still feeling insecure, and to ensure its two-thirds majority was inviolable, once again it used its two-thirds majority to amend this Constitutional provision. This time, in 1973, the percentage figure was totally removed leaving only the phrase approximately equal. This left it to the whims and fancies of the Executive, with the EC acting as the frontperson to interpret this phrase, and have the EC implement it dutifully. Arming itself with this weapon alone was not enough. It needed a sure-fire way of identifying areas that were unsafe and neutralising them. This led to the innovation in the vote-counting process. In the first few elections after independence, ballots from all the polling stations in a state constituency used to be taken to one counting centre. The ballots from the whole constituency would be mixed before counting so that it would not be known how the voters at any of the stations had voted. This was to ensure secrecy true secrecy of the votes. Spying on political leanings Then, this system was suddenly changed. Novel excuses were given to hide the motive for the change i.e. counting would be faster and it would be safer than transporting the ballots to a counting centre. Unfortunately, people were happy with the change as the results could actually be known earlier. But the udang sebalik batu (the prawn behind the rock, or literally, the hidden motive) was not seen. This was a clever and subtle way of discovering how small areas in each constituency had voted. Excellent spying! The motive was to spy on the political leanings of small groups of people, throughout the country, living in clearly defined areas around each polling station.

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Each polling stream has between 200-600 voters and they are from localities within a short distance of the station. The localities are stated in the electoral roll. So if 80 per cent of the votes in a particular stream at a particular station are for a certain party, their locality is marked as black or white for the next delineation exercise. New boundaries are then drawn around the black and white areas, never mind if the boundaries zig-zag crazily. This way, the end results are constituencies like Kapar and Putrajaya. The second fraud is to cover up the first fraud by claiming that it is the first-past-the-post Westminster system which is used in Malaysia that is at fault. Dear Zahid, please show us how many of the constituencies in the UK have numbers that vary as much as in Malaysia . You should know that the Federal Constitution directs that the number of voters in the various constituencies should be approximately equal. Is the number in Kapar (144,159) approximately equal to that in Putrajaya (15,791)? Halal by Islamic standards? There are approximately 10 times more voters in Kapar than in Putrajaya. Does this kind of difference exist in the UK? Is it lawful? Is it halal by Islamic standards? What kind of a dirty game is it to remove the 15 per cent and 50 per cent figures from the Constitution and then interpret approximately equal to mean anything but approximately equal as honest people understand the phrase to mean? In no language can 144,159 be understood as being approximately equal to 15,791. Swallow your pride and arrogance and, as a Muslim, acknowledge that gerrymandering is cheating, and cheating is HARAM. To win by engaging in HARAM activity is disgraceful. Have some sense of shame. Ravinder Singh, a former teacher, is an activist based in Penang and regular contributor to our Thinking Allowed Online section.

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Blackout photo taken by PAS agent, Seri Serdang rep confirms

May 26, 2013

EC deputy chairman Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar disputed the authenticity of the photograph on Friday. file picPUCHONG, May 26 PASs Seri Serdang assemblyman Noor Hanim Ismail has come forward to verify the photograph of a purported blackout at a polls counting room on May 5 currently circulating on the web,

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saying it had been taken by her agent and was not staged as claimed by the Election Commission (EC). In a report on Malay daily Sinar Harian, the newly-elected PAS representative explained that her officer had snapped the photograph at the Saluran 3 counting room in SK Serdang at approximately 7.32pm that night. She expressed surprise that EC deputy chairman Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar, who disputed the authenticity of the photograph on Friday, did not appear to know the official clothing of his own officials. I ask that Wan Ahmad apologise to all Malaysians for making the mistake of issuing a statement without proper verification and for taking lightly an issue that the people have raised, she was quoted saying by the daily. According to Noor Hanim, during the blackout, her officer had to help provide torchlights to the entire counting room to ensure the process could be carried out smoothly. She denied claims that there had been reporters at the scene, which the photograph allegedly showed, noting that the location only permitted the presence of EC officials, agents of the candidate and the police officers in charge. Sinar Harian said it is believed that that particular polling station had four voting streams, and counting for the first, second and fourth streams had been completed earlier that same evening. There were no other photographs snapped in these polling streams save for the one in stream three due to the delayed process of counting, which only ended at 8pm, the paper wrote. Wan Ahmad had alleged in media reports on Friday that the photograph of the blackout that has been circulating on the Internet was staged and taken even before Election 2013. The EC number two reportedly said that this conclusion was made after thorough scrutiny of the photograph by him and his officers. They had staged the act even before the election to spread it on the Internet as a ploy to show that a blackout had purportedly occurred, whereas it was a lie. The photograph showed that EC staff were purportedly counting the ballot papers and had to use a auxiliary lamps whereas the staff were not wearing the EC uniform, he was quoted as saying by national news agency Bernama. According to Wan Ahmad, the most obvious proof was the presence of reporters and photographers at the counting area, which is not permitted.

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The Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and work procedure shown on the photograph were totally incorrectthey have forgotten, (they) want to cheat but do not understand the work procedure and were immature. In fact the tray used for placing the ballot papers on were also not the EC trays, the material and size were different(there were) many things in the photograph that did not follow EC SOP, he was quoted as saying.

More questions surround blackout photo

By Azreen Hani Tuesday, May 28, 2013

What I find weird is, it is the same photograph that had been used for blackout allegations in other places including in Bentong," Wan Ahmad said (Graphic by Dayang Norazhar/ The Mole)

KUALA LUMPUR: Election Commission deputy chairman Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar said there are numerous questions surrounding the authenticity of the photograph of an alleged blackout during the counting of votes in Serdang.

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Wan Ahmad told The Mole: After studying the image of the alleged blackout incident, the EC found out there were more questionable issues about it. Based on the picture alone, we can see a lot of matters are done not in accordance of poll counting SOP (standard operating procedure). He added: For example, the distance between the voting tray and the officers are too close with one another. There were a lot of people during the vote counting process when by right only EC officials and agents of candidates are allowed to be there. Wan Ahmad also said the surrounding is too dark for an alleged blackout incident to happen at 7.30pm. What I find weird is, it is the same photograph that had been used for allegations of blackouts in other places including in Bentong. One photograph for all the so-called blackouts. Due to these arising questions, the EC believed that the alleged blackout was staged. We are talking based on facts. No police report was lodged on the incident on May 5 and no EC officers or party agents complained to us about it. TNB (Tenaga Nasional Berhad) had also issued a statement to clarify that there were no blackouts or power shortage incidents within 24 hours on the day, Wan Ahmad said. On Saturday, Pas Seri Serdang assemblyman Noor Hanim Ismail criticised Wan Ahmads statement that the blackout incident which had gone viral online was staged. In a statement Noor Hanim said the incident did happen at Sekolah Kebangsaan Serdang, and Pas candidate's agent had taken photographs before and after the incident happened. Wan Ahmad said the EC is looking forward to meet Noor Hanim for clarifications on what had occured and find out what actually happened during the polling day. Theres no problem for us to meet the Pas leader for clarification and explanation. We want to know what really happened too.

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He maintained that any disgruntled parties should file the election petition in court as the election result is already gazetted.

Blackout photo brightened

EC deputy chief under fire for 'lying' over blackout

First Published: 4:42pm, May 26, 2013 Last Updated: 4:42pm, May 26, 2013 PETALING JAYA (May 26): The Election Commission deputy chairperson has come under fire from a PAS elected representative for insisting that a photograph of a blackout that occurred at a polling station on May 5 was "an act recorded even before GE13". Seri Serdang assembly member Noor Hanim Ismail said the incident took place in a room Sekolah Kebangsaan Serdang where ballots for Stream 3 were being counted. "Our counting agent took several pictures before and after the blackout incident," Noor Hanim said in a statement reported by PAS organ Harakahdaily. "I call upon the EC, especially EC deputy chairperson Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar, to apologise to all Malaysians for making the mistake of issuing a statement without an indepth study and for treating lightly an issue raised by the people," she said. "EC as the official body that conducts the election must be seen to be professional, fair and transparent, and also be impartial," she added.

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Wan Ahmad had told Bernama recently that the blackout claim was a "slander and concocted story". "They had staged the act even before the election to spread it on the internet as a ploy to show that a blackout had purportedly occurred, whereas it was a lie. "The photograph showed that EC staff were purportedly counting the ballot papers and had to use auxiliary lamps whereas the staff were not wearing the EC uniform," he was quoted as saying by the national news agency In her statement, Noor Hanim stressed, that the EC staff on that day were in fact wearing their grey uniform, adding that she was surprised that Wan Ahamd did not seem to know the EC's own uniform. She also expressed surprise that he could not recognise the boxes used for the vote counting as the photography clearly showed that the EC logo was displayed on the boxes. Noor Hanim added that during the blackout, her candidate representative had supplied flashlights to ensure the counting process proceeded smoothly. "I deny that there were journalists at the location because the only ones present were the polling station supervisor, EC staff, candidate representative and police personnel on duty," she said. Wan Ahmad had said that the "most obvious proof" that the photograph was a lie was that it showed that there were many reporters and photographers present at the votecounting area whereas no one was allowed into the area except for the EC staff and agents of the candidates. Noor Hanim won the Seri Serdang seat by a 16,251-vote majority. She polled 39,373 votes against 23,486 by BN candidate Mohamed Yusof Mohamed Yassin. Read more: http://www.fz.com/content/ec-deputy-chief-under-fire-lying-overblackout#ixzz2XlIf7kSQ

Crying foul, Anwar disputes GE13 results

The Malaysian Insider Mon, May 6, 2013 By Syed Jaymal Zahiid PETALING JAYA, May 6 Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said he will not accept the Election 2013 result, accusing the Elections Commission (EC) of rigging the polls to give Barisan Nasional (BN) victory. As results streamed in, the PKR de facto leader said Pakatan Rakyat will not recognise the legitimacy of the outcome, claiming that several hotly-contested seats were marred by allegations of widespread fraud.

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As of now we are not accepting the results, the visibly upset Anwar told a press conference packed with supporters, local and international pressmen. Many of the seats they have announced, we are contesting (the results) and they have not responded to our allegations, he said. The opposition leader added that PR would only accept yesterdays results if the EC provides a satisfactory explanation to the complaints. Anwar had earlier declared an early victory for PR and warned against attempts to hijack the results, as results began streaming in. The prime minister-hopeful made the declaration on his Twitter account at 7pm yesterday, just two hours after counting started at tallying centres nationwide. PKR raised suspicion of electoral fraud following reports of the early vote counts in several key constituencies including Lembah Pantai, Lumut and Teluk Kemang which it alleged were overly low and discomforting. In a statement here, the partys communications bureau noted that these seats include high numbers of military voters who had cast their votes via advanced voting earlier this week on April 30. There were also complaints against the indelible ink used in Sundays polls and claims that security forces were helping transport phantom voters of foreign nationalities to vote in key constituencies, including Anwars Permatang Pauh federal seat. The opposition chief said his coalition had gathered a body of evidence to support its allegations, including video evidence. Two of these, which were recordings of PR workers apprehending foreign nationals near polling centres, were showed to the media. The EC has been very dismissive, the PKR de facto leader said in describing his frustration with the polls regulators inaction despite widespread complaints of electoral fraud. And now we found thousands of foreign nationals, phantom voters in a matter of hours even in my constituency, he said. The EC has denied the allegations while some BN leaders claimed the accusations were made up to justify PRs plans to subvert the election outcome through street protests. Anwar, however, said the coalition had told its supporters to remain calm but stressed that they were loudly protesting against the purported irregularities found in this years elections. We would not do anything that is instigative, he said.

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Counterfeit democracy
Posted by Angeline Loh on 23 May A democracy that only looks real from the outside is nothing short of counterfeit, says Angeline Loh.

Sixth of May was a Black Day for Malaysia. We, the ordinary Rakyat, had worked hard for a genuine democracy. We sincerely wanted change, we sincerely wanted to move on, to progress, to develop our thinking on par with what seemed our advanced economic development. To liberate our minds, expand our perceptions, most of all achieve the justice that seems increasingly elusive. In the fifty years after Merdeka (Independence) the concept of democracy was one that was surreal, it seemed rejected as something originating from Europe. It didnt apply to this land, to our nation, our unique communal life-styles and cultures. We just wanted to be left in peace, to carry on our daily lives in the traditional ways that we had for hundreds, may be thousands of years. We saw unity through the eyes of the ruling Alliance Party which became the Barisan Nasional that to keep the country cohesive, the balance of power amongst the three main races in Peninsular Malaysia could only be maintained through communal politics, tied in with constitutional provisions to ensure the status quo. But we had once attempted change in 1969, twelve years after becoming a sovereign nation, but were beaten down by the ruling party that has since taken advantage of our peace-loving nature to justify being in power for almost 56 years.

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Now, this same ruling party, the Barisan Nasional, still seeks to preserve its hold on the country, although, in our understanding and experience has lost the mandate that we, the Rakyat only, can give. We believe in our authority to refuse or grant such a mandate to govern. We realised since 8 March 2008 that democracy wasnt an alien concept and that multiracialism could unify us even more than the divisive communal politics practised by the Barisan Nasional. Our true transformation In the four years following our partial success in creating a different Malaysian political landscape in which the main contention was communal and religious politics versus a multiracial Malaysia and religious freedom we became more convinced of our need for genuine democracy, equality and exercise of our basic human rights. Since the tragedy of 13 May 1969, we had been cowed and kept in ignorance of these principles and possibilities, believing and trusting in those who governed us. Perhaps, it was our luck that the BN welcomed new information technology, embracing it whole-heartedly. It is the one good thing, we should be grateful for, under this dubious government which still insists it has the mandate to rule, despite the majority apparently being, not on their side. What also convinced us of the need for change to allow the Opposition the chance to prove themselves as an effective government was the proliferation of corruption, the heightening of autocracy and cronyism in the BN, and the widening gap between the minority rich elite and the expanding lower-middle- and low- income strata. The economic squeezing of the middle- and low-income earners in taxes, withdrawal of subsidies for basic necessities, global climate disasters and fuel price hikes were the initial catalysts of dissatisfaction. Yet, the rich elite BN ruling class closed its eyes and ears to the situation of the common citizen, even suppressing those who championed the cause for economic equality, justice and exercise of basic human rights. Worse, whistleblowers and persons viewed as threats to the ruling elite were either bought off (PI Bala) or, more horrifyingly, found dead (Altantuya Shaariibuu, Teoh Beng Hock, Ahmad Sarbani), incidences of deaths in custody (A Kugan, Gunasegeran, Sugumaran), police brutality, shootings instead of arrests of suspected offenders (Aminulrasyid, migrant suspects, etc.) alarmingly multiplied. Crime rates seem high, despite claims by the police of its reduction. People feel less safe now than they did about 20-30 years ago.

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These and the breakdown of integrity, allowing rampant corruption at all levels of society, pushed us to the brink of realisation of the need to change the the ruling administration.So, we worked hard with our grass root leaders, Opposition leaders, and all who shared our vision of a new Malaysian order. A clean, just and open government which would act responsibly and accountably. We had high hopes that Pakatan Rakyat would eventually fulfil this role despite its obvious inexperience in governing a country. There is currently no other alternative to the BN and its failed governing methods, except the PR. We decided to break away from that old order; in our struggle for clean government, justice, integrity and a more workable, honourable system, we found harmony in mutual respect for each other as human beings. We all belong to a human race irrespective of ethnic, cultural, social, gender, and religious differences. Malaysias most significant polls So, we, the Rakyat, went to the long postponed polls on 5 May 2013 with hope, purpose and determination to re-create our independence as a nation a new two-sided political order a New Malaysia! We did our best to defend our vision despite the foul tactics, ambiguity, threats, bribes and blatant vote-buying by the BN. Many wanted a secure future for the next generation and many more to come. All want unity, harmony and solidarity among the peoples of our beloved country. Unity is not achieved by neo-colonial divide-and-rule tactics, not by riding on the backs of others or taking credit for the toil and achievements of others. This lembu punya susu, sapi punya nama attitude must be completely rejected, if self-worth is valued. Belief that Najibs administration has any shred of honesty or fairness left is fast dissipating. Our hopes were dashed on 6 May 2013, in the aftermath of the election battle by Umno-BNs perverted desire to cling to power at apparently any costs. The Rakyat had won, but were not acknowledged. In fact, our decision to give the mandate to rule to the Opposition PR was ignored as if our votes were merely an unnecessary formality to exhibit our democracy to the world but didnt matter to Najib and the BN, one way or another. Najib and his cronies shamelessly swore themselves into Federal government almost immediately on 6 May 2013 despite the dispute raised about the legitimacy of the election results. Najib and the BN continue to treat the people like illiterate serfs, who must be grateful for the crumbs of democracy thrown to us as a show of their generosity and magnanimity.

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As in the past, no promise has been genuine and Najibs favorite slogan, Janji Ditepati rings hollow and false. Questionably legitimate government In view of the allegedly stolen election victory that thwarted our aspirations for corruption free, transparent, accountable and just government, Umno-BNs Pyrrhic win is disputed. Yet, Najib, who proudly clutches the reins of power in the country, claiming to be the head of a democratic government, has not acted like one. The Rakyat and the Opposition are asked to accept the outcome of this tainted 13th general election despite the allegations of fraud, corruption and blatant money politics before, during and after the polls. The task of doing what a real government should do has again fallen on ordinary citizens of this land to resolve the nations problems to determine the legitimacy of the government, verifying the complaints of fraud on all the evidence that may be brought by citizens themselves to a Peoples Tribunal. Bersih will again lead the Rakyat in the fight for clean, free and fair elections. Our struggle for the one important basic right, and for justice is not yet over. What Najibs rule has presented to us is only a counterfeit democracy, which may seem real from the outside, but lacks the genuine quality of true democracy. Yet, we went through the motions of this false democracy and have been rewarded with a less than genuine government whom we know will, in time, exploit the Rakyat again, especially marginalised Malaysians who have known nothing but exploitation, neglect, and poverty for decades. If Najib and BN want to claim the crown, they should begin by being fair; but this seems one of the hardest things for this BN government to do. Defeat, when it happens, would be a sickeningly bitter pill to swallow. Yet, for the Rakyat, the day is not over, and there is much in this learning process that will go to educate us further on the ups and downs of politics and the changes that real democracy may bring. All change may not be for the better and our hopes and dreams may have to be fought for, but we must continue to strive for the ideal we seek. If not, we will continue to be enslaved by power brokers who will only give us imitations of democracy, denying the Rakyat genuine democracy, justice and the rights and freedoms that should be our inheritance, without discrimination.

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About Angeline Loh

Angeline Loh, a long-time Aliran executive committee member, writes regularly for Aliran. WIth a background in international human rights law, she champions the rights of those who are often forgotten or marginalised in society

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