RECONCILIATION, Mr Jaafar?

May 12, 2013

Mr Jaafar,  you call for Reconciliation; in so doing you ape the Prime Minister. But tell me, who started the racial stuff? Who chose Zul Noordin and Ibrahim Ali to stand under BN banner when we know these politicians were pushing their so-called Malay First agenda to the ridiculous extreme?

Why did Tun Dr. Mahathir use the race card in his campaign speeches? Who threatened us with another May 13, if not the Wanita UMNO chief?  Which government that denied opposition states their share of the national revenues? Who blamed  the failure to gain a strong mandate on the “Chinese Tsunami”? Why the coalition that won the popular vote could not take Putrajaya?

You mean there were no blackouts at various critical vote counting centres?  Now what about the indelible ink that was not indelible?Who is responsible for this cock up, if not the Election Commission Chairman and his Deputy? But these characters are members of UMNO and will be protected.

These are some questions that need answers quickly.The Government and the Election Commission must come clean on these irregularities. Who is in a state of denial? Us Malaysians or the powers that be? We have to deal with real issues since the burden of policy failures and fiscal irresponsibility rests on us, the Malaysian people.

Yes, I have heard this slogan Rakyat Didahulukan. Pencapaian Diutamakan some four years ago. It sounds hollow to me now in 2013. GE-13 is about TRUST in Government and we have spoken loudly that we have doubts about the government and must now judge our new government by their deeds, not words. Days of glitz, public relations campaigns, sloganeering and money squandering schemes are over. Accountability first and now. That should be the new catch phrase.--Din Merican

RECONCILIATION: It’s time to set aside allegations of blackouts and phantom voters

by Johan Jaffar (o5-11-13)@http://www.nst.com.my

I WAS saddened by what I saw on election day. An eager crowd of Chinese voters made their choices loud and clear as they were queuing at a polling station. So, too, a group of Malay voters at another. Both had their preferences.

I have seen many elections. I was too young to understand what happened in 1969. But there have been 10 elections since then. I have never seen the people so divided and the race issues so pronounced as this one. I have travelled to Sabah and the entire length of the peninsula but I have never seen such intensity in campaigning and such ferocity in character assassination and dissemination of lies.

I was at a dinner hosted by local Chinese in one of the constituencies in Perak. The candidate was feted, lots of good words said about him, yet he got a handful of votes from the area.

The story of Chinese rejecting Barisan Nasional candidates was heard everywhere. Almost every BN candidate was affected. The truth is while the Malays were divided, the Chinese votes were the determining factor.

The Prime Minister used the term “Chinese tsunami”. Many disagreed, but many more believed it was the case. Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said the Chinese have rejected “friendship” from the Malays. The concept kongsi kuasa has been severely affected. Let’s pray he is wrong.

But what worries me most is the social media’s role in highlighting lies, half-truths and desecration of decorum and goodwill. Malaysians have become so gullible in believing almost everything in cyberspace.

There were stories about 40,000 Bangladeshis brought in to vote. Outrageous to think that was possible logistically, yet it became a hot subject.

What about blackouts during the counting process? There was no power outage at any counting centre, according to TNB. Even a DAP assemblyman from Ketari slammed social network users for posting that issue at his counting centre. But the story persists. The supposedly indelible ink? That is another story.

Take the case of outstation voters. Responsible Malaysians did come back to their respective towns and villages to vote. In droves. They came from Kuala Lumpur, even Singapore and other places. They were exercising their rights as citizens.

In some areas, they even affected the outcome. Yet, stories about phantom voters persisted. Ironically, in places where BN candidates won, the issue surfaced.

Teresa Kok won by a majority of 51,552 votes, the highest ever in the history of Malaysian election, yet no one is blaming phantom voters from China, Singapore or elsewhere. She is quietly enjoying her good fortune.

Social media is supposed to make us more mature politically. We are supposed to be more informed. Yet, it has become a tool to divide and to hate.

Rumour mongers and racial provocateurs were given a free hand. Social media is a double-edged sword that enlivens out lives and, at the same time, in the wrong hands, destroys those values that we have hold dear for so long.

 DAP and Pas while making the usual noises accepted the verdict of the people. In fact, Lim Guan Eng and Datuk Ahmad Yakob were sworn in quickly as Chief Minister of Penang and Menteri Besar of Kelantan respectively. The one complaining the most is understandably Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

PKR did not fare too well this time. And more importantly, he failed to be the Prime Minister, an obsession that has inflicted him since he joined politics. As for resigning if he fails to head the government, as he promised, oh, that can wait.

  He wants to galvanise his troops to cast aspersion on the election process. Luckily he won, albeit a much reduced majority at Permatang Pauh. He did not raise a finger about discrepancies there though. Had he lost, he would have shown busloads of phantom voters from Thailand.

 I thought the election is over. The people have decided. This is about time to move on with our lives. Shall we say, enough politics for a while? There are unfinished work to be done. Together, we must make this place a better one.  Calm down! We are Malaysians!

 Heed the PM when he talks about reconciliation. We cannot have it any other way. This is a multiracial country and diversity is not only our trademark but our strength. He is after all the prime minister of all people, not just BN supporters. National unity is paramount in his mind. Knowing him, he will reject all calls to be vengeful or to punish anyone. He will stick to his mantra, 1Malaysia: People First, Performance Now.

The people have given him the mandate he wanted to make amends. Trust him.