From:
Date: 01 Dec 1999
Time: 00:52:33
[kini-malaysia] Open Letter To The Electorate
Open Letter To The Electorate
The Tenth General Election is now over and the Malaysian people have made their choice. We, the Barisan Alternatif, respect their choice. But was it really the people’s choice? We have received numerous complaints that there was more than meets the eye.
Over the last two days we have been receiving scores of reports about gross fraud that was going on during the course of Election Day. From the feedback we have been receiving, not only are we sure that this election WAS the dirtiest as Dato Seri Dr Mahathir had promised, but that the fraud was done openly and blatantly - unlike in the past where it was more discreet. Amongst the complaints received were:
680,000 registered voters were told they are not allowed to vote. However, some of them DID go to the polling stations and found that they were able to vote after all. The question is, how many more from this list of 680,000 COULD have voted but were told they could not?
Some voters’ names were missing from the electoral list. They then created a fuss and refused to budge until allowed to vote. A second list was then brought out from under the table and, surprisingly, their names WERE on this second list. How many people went home that day after being told they could not vote whereas, actually, they could have?
Some voters were told they had already voted. When they insisted they had not, they were shown the list and, true enough, their names had been "cut off" indicating they had already voted. They still insist, though, that they had not yet voted and that someone else had voted in their place. How many more people suffered this?
There is talk that the soldiers in MINDEF protested and refused to vote because the ballot papers were marked. It seems there was a stroke in the Barisan Nasional box. All they needed to do was to make another stroke and it would become an "X". If, however, they marked an "X" in the Barisan Alternatif box instead, then their vote would be classified as "spoilt votes" since there would now be two boxes marked, one with an "X" and another with a stroke. We were told that, because of this "mogok", the ballot papers were changed. Dr. Mahathir announced they would investigate how this could have happened and he seems to hint it was a "printing error". Was it an "error" or were it deliberate to ensure that the soldiers only voted for Barisan Nasional, and that if they voted for the Barisan Alternatif their votes would be rejected due to it becoming "spoilt"?
The report we received that we regard as the most serious of all is about the ballot papers having some sort of wax or resin on them. It was not the whole ballot paper that was waxed but just the part where the Barisan Alternatif box was. Some voters related stories about how they could not mark the Barisan Alternatif box properly. Others said it was too slippery and the mark would not stick. Then others told us that, after they had marked the Barisan Alternatif box, they shook the ballot paper and found that the pencil marking became powdery and just came off. How many more people discovered this and how widespread was it?
Some voters complained that the pencils they were supplied with were so blunt and that there was no more lead on it. They found they could not mark the ballot papers properly with these pencils. When they asked whether they could mark the ballot papers with their own pencils or pens that they had brought with them they were told they could not and that they MUST use the ones supplied. Is this ruling true and how many others experienced this problem?
Then there is the "traditional" complaint about voters voting more than once. The only way to do this would be if these voters were voting under many different names and identity card numbers. How many people saw this happen and how rampant was it?
Another traditional complaint was about voters being offered money to vote for the Barisan Nasional. How many others were also offered money or how many people witnessed money changing hands?
Some witnesses who were monitoring the vote counting told us that, in the beginning of the count, some Barisan Nasional candidates were losing badly. Then they brought out the postal votes and the result suddenly changed to a win. One example was Dato Seri Najib. While the vote counting was going on everyone could see he was being "massacred". Then they wheeled in sacks of postal votes which, strangely enough, were all for Barisan Nasional. This gave Najib the win though with a mere 150 or so votes. How many other Barisan Nasional candidates actually lost the election but were saved through the postal votes? Where did these postal votes come from and are they genuine or planted? There are many questions that need to be answered with regards to these postal votes which have long been a sore point with everyone. If what we are told is true – that is 70% of the soldiers voted for the Barisan Alternatif – this would mean the postal votes would have made the Barisan Nasional’s candidates’ loss even greater. Instead the opposite happened.
Some candidates have told us that the ballot boxes were opened without their or their representative’s presence. By the time they arrived at the counting stations the boxes had already been opened. Others complained that they found the ballot boxes empty. What else went on that night during the counting of the votes?
As you can see, the list of discrepancies and probable fraud goes on. What we have mentioned above could probably be only the tip of the iceberg. We need to know what else happened that day. But, most importantly, we need witnesses to come forward and give us sworn statements or testify as to what they saw that day.
Voting is your right. Don’t let them rob you of this right. If the Barisan Nasional has come retained power through fraudulent means we need to know. We need all Malaysians to do their bit in bringing this matter to light and help ensure that the Tenth General Election is the LAST election ever won through deception, unfair practices and fraud.
Do something. Come forward. Tell us what you saw or experienced.
Please e-mail us at: webmaster-keadilan @ egroups.com
Phone us at: 03 – 757 – 1245
Fax us at: 03 – 757 – 1245
Or send a registered letter (courier) to: Parti Keadilan Nasional, 101, Blok A, Pusat Dagangan Phileo Damansara II, No. 15, Jalan 16/11, Off Jalan Damansara, 46350 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan.
Whatever you do, do it now. And pass this message to all your friends, colleagues and relatives. But make sure your message has the following details:
Your name:
Your Identity Card No:
Your communication/correspondence address:
Your Phone/fax number/e-mail address:
Where you voted:
Your complaint (what you saw or experienced):
Approximate time the incident happened:
Your witness(es) – if any:
Are you prepared to sign a Affidavit or testify? (yes/no):
Thank you.
Raja Petra Kamarudin
On behalf of: Puan Hajjah Marina Yusoff
Biro Pilehan Raya
Parti Keadilan Nasional