Already, the Election Commission - frequently slammed for bias towards the Umno-BN - has been embarrassed by the discovery that the indelible ink it plans to use on Sunday could be easily washed off.
And on Tuesday, the Opposition candidate for the Wangsa Maju parliament seat Tan Kee Kwong was shocked when he went to observe the advance voting for postal and absentee voters in his constituency.
Not only was Kee Kwong barred by an EC official from entering the balloting premises, when he went to the police station where the ballot boxes were to be kept under lock and key until counting is done on Sunday, he was shocked to find an open box containing 1,100 'spare' ballot papers.
"How can this happen and in the police station where the ballot boxes are supposed to be in safe custody? Is someone trying to bomb us on Sunday," Kee Kwong told Malaysia Chronicle, referring to the widespread rumors that quarters linked to the Umno-BN had made preparations to swap genuine ballots with their own pre-ticked voting slips.
Kee Kwong, a senior PKR leader, wants an immediate explanation from the Election Commission. The spare ballot papers were left outside the security area, accessible to anyone who passed by.
"I also want to know why 1,100? Isn't this ridiculously too many to provide as spare? For example, if there are 1,000 voters, maybe one would keep on hand 10% and that would be 100 spares. Is it plausible that all 1,000 would make mistakes and demand a new slip?" said Kee Kwong.
"As far as I am concerned, this is totally suspicious and smells completely under-handed. PR is set to win and win big. Is this the only way Umno-BN can head this off - by conniving with the EC?"
Whole ballot boxes diverted
Kee Kwong's bombshell follows hot on the heels of Anwar's expose. The Opposition Leader had accused the EC of diverting a shipment of ballot boxes due to be sent to the Commission's headquarters in Putrajaya to a run-down and dilapidated warehouse in an industrial park in Kajang.
Anwar had backed up his allegations with photos of the "secret hideout", also showing reporters some of the envelopes found strewn in the premises and a rubbish dump just outside the warehouse. The envelopes are for containing postal balloting slips.
As for the diverted ballot boxes, which were covered with black polyester bags with the EC logo, there are fears that these may be filled with pre-ticked votes favouring Umno-BN and then swapped with other 'genuine' boxes on May 5, especially those from pro-Opposition ares.
Till now, the EC has not offered any explanation except to rebut that it had the right to store ballot boxes wherever it wished. To critics, the EC's response to the multitude of complaints raised so far - including by free and fair polls movement BERSIH - has been arrogant and aloof.
Even the indelible ink is delible?
Although the nation was shocked by the discovery that the indelible ink the EC is due to use for the first time in Malaysia's electoral history on May 5 could be easily washed off, many also said they were not really surprised that such "desperate steps" might be unleashed in the last mile to help the Umno-BN keep its 55-year-old hold on power.
Voter cynicism, already one of the main factors behind the surge in support for the Opposition, rose a further notch when a police report was lodged against PKR vice president, Tian Chua, for raising the issue.
"I am lodging the report so that the police can investigate Tian Chua's motive for making such claims. His actions could disrupt the election process and cause uneasiness among voters," the Star newspaper reported BN candidate for the Sijangkang state assembly seat Zurihan Yusop as saying.
Malaysia Chronicle
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Kee Kwong finds 1,100 'spare' ballot papers left in the open
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ReplyDeleteTimbalan Pengerusi Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya (SPR) Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar berkata proses pengiraan dan penjumlahan undi disaksikan pemerhati terdiri daripada ejen parti politik dan agensi antarabangsa.
ReplyDeleteBeliau sekali gus menafikan dakwaan pihak tertentu bahawa peti undi di Putrajaya tercicir.
ReplyDelete"Terlalu banyak cerita tidak benar yang disebarkan melalui media sosial. Proses penjumlahan juga berjalan lancar. Kenapa mereka-reka cerita," katanya.
Wan Ahmad turut menafikan kononnya ejen untuk pengiraan undi di Lembah Pantai dihalau ketua tempat mengundi selepas ditutup.
ReplyDeleteBeliau berkata dakwaan sedemikian hanyalah bertujuan memfitnah dan memburukkan imej SPR.
Kira-kira 233,000 petugas Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya (SPR) yang menyempurnakan amanah PRU-13, kecewa dan tertekan dengan fitnah serta pembohongan dilemparkan terhadap suruhanjaya itu.
ReplyDeleteTimbalan Pengerusi SPR, Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar (gambar), berkata tindakan parti politik mengitar semula pelbagai dakwaan mengarut setiap kali pilihan raya menyebabkan petugas SPR meluahkan rasa difitnah.
ReplyDelete“Bayangkan perasaan petugas yang bekerja siang malam menjaga amanah undi rakyat, tetapi tidak habis-habis difitnah, pembohongan dan cerita tidak masuk akal semata-mata mahu memancing undi simpati, undi geram, undi keliru, undi beremosi dan undi balas dendam, terutama daripada pengundi atas pagar," Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar, Timbalan Pengerusi SPR.
ReplyDelete“Fitnah yang sama diulang-ulang dalam setiap PRU atau pilihan raya kecil sejak 1999 sebagai modal mengumpan undi pada saat akhir. Ini satu budaya berpolitik yang sungguh mengecewakan dan tidak bertanggungjawab.
ReplyDeleteWan Ahmad turut membidas Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, yang mendakwa pihaknya ada maklumat kononnya peti undi dialihkan ke sebuah lokasi rahsia.
ReplyDelete“Dia (Anwar) sudah lama berkecimpung pilihan raya, tetapi masih mengapi-apikan rakyat. Hakikatnya, petugas SPR menjaga peti dan kertas undi sebagai barang rahsia dengan rapi 24 jam.
“Kilang terbiar dikatakan Anwar itu gudang logistik SPR dan kita memang tidak meletakkan papan tanda di situ bagi mengelakkan ia menarik perhatian orang tidak bertanggungjawab,” katanya.
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