From:
Date: 14 Dec 1999
Time: 03:19:57
Kawan-kawan semua, Kenyataan ini telah dikeluarkan dua hari selepas pilihanraya. Akan tetapi saya tidak dapat mengirimnya kerana pc saya rosak lebih tiga minggu. Saya harap masih berguna lagi. Syed Husin
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KENYATAAN PRESIDEN PRM TENTANG KEPUTUSAN PILIHANRAYA
Kita baru saja melalui pilihanraya yang paling tidak adil dan terkotor dalam sejarah negeri ini. Dengan segala yang telah dilakukannya, BN mendapat hanya 56 peratus daripada jumlah undi, walaupun ia memenangi 77 peratus daripada jumlah kerusi parlimen. Mahathir mungkin mahu bergembira, akan tetapi tidak ada sebab beliau akan merasa senang atau seronok dengan keseluruhan corak pengundian.
Jelas bahawa dengan menggunakan media yang dikawalnya bagi mengugut, membohongi dan menakutkan terutama sekali pengundi Cina dengan politik perkauman dan agama, Mahathir berjaya merampas kemenangan. Menggunakan strategi ini, beliau berjaya menarik sebahagian besar pengundi bukan Melayu kepada BN. Pada masa yang sama beliau kehilangan sejumlah besar pengundi Melayu, yang menjadi asas UMNO selama ini. Kedudukannya sebagai pemimpin UMNO dan orang Melayu terjejas buruk sekali.
Dalam pilihanraya ini, antara parti-parti alternatif, PAS mendapat kejayaan paling besar sekali. KeADILan berjaya terus hidup, walau apa sekalipun yang dicuba oleh Dr Mahathir dengan cara-cara tidak bermoral melalui media dan juga sebaran haram, untuk melenyapkan parti itu dan Anwar Ibrahim daripada politik negara. Tentang DAP pula, sungguhpun kekalahan Lim Kit Siang menyedihkan dan prestasi partinya tidak sebaik dulu, namun parti itu masih merupakan satu tenaga yang perlu diambil kira.
PRM tidak berjaya mendapat apa-apa kerusi. Akan tetapi, kali ini undi yang diperolehi calon-calonnya lebih baik daripada dulu. Khususnya di Wilayah dan Selangor, di mana PRM meletakkan tiga calon, kami telah mendapat sokongan besar daripada pengundi Melayu. Sungguhpun undi bukan Melayu berkurangan sedikit, namun kami berjaya mengurangkan majoriti BN. Berbanding dengan pilihanraya 1995, di Ampang, Batu dan PJ Selatan PRM telah dapat mengurangkan majoriti masing-masing daripada kira-kira 31000, 15000 dan 11000 kepada lebih kurang 7000, 2000 dan 3500. Keputusan di Johor tidak begitu baik walaupun calon-calon PRM berjaya juga mengurangkan majoriti dulu.
PRM bergembira dengan kerjasama yang baru dicapai di kalangan berbagai-bagai kaum, kelas dan agama. Kami akan meneruskan perjuangan untuk keadilan, demokrasi serta ketelusan dan hak serta kebajikan rakyat ramai. Kami akan cuba mengukuhkan lagi kerjasama, bahkan mungkin juga perpaduan, di antara parti-parti tertentu bermula dengan keADILan. Perjuangan bersama kami mesti diteruskan , dan persediaan untuk pilihanraya akan datang mesti bermula dari sekarang.
Parti akan berbincang sedikit masa lagi untuk mengkaji implikasi pilihanraya ini, strategi akan datang parti dan juga hal-hal lain, termasuk kedudukan saya sendiri. Buat sementara waktu, bagi pihak PRM saya mengucapkan setinggi-tinggi terima kasih kepada semua yang telah memberikan sokongan - berbentuk tenaga atau wang - dan mereka yang mengundi calon-calon kami. Kami juga merakamkan penghargaan kepada mereka yang tidak mengundi kami, tetapi telah menerima kami dengan baik dan ramah sekali.
Dr Syed Husin Ali Presiden PRM
1 Disember 1999
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MEDIA STATEMENT BY PRESIDENT OF PRM ON THE ELECTIONS RESULTS
We have just undergone what have surely been the most unfair and malicious elections in the country's history. Despite all its efforts, the BN managed to garner only about 56 percent of the votes, although it won 77 percent of the parliamentary seats. Mahathir may want to celebrate his victory, but there is little reason for him to be comfortable with the overall-voting pattern. And his own future, perhaps.
Clearly, Mahathir has won thanks to his success in using the government-controlled media to spread politics of racial and religious fear and intimidation. With this strategy, he managed to force a large section of non-Malay voters to vote BN. But at the same time he has lost significantly the Malay base that UMNO has long stood on. His credibility as leader of UMNO and the Malays has been very seriously undermined.
In this election, PAS has proved to be most successful among the alternative parties. The keADILan has managed to survive despite all Mahathir's immoral efforts to demolish it and Anwar Ibrahim from the Malaysian political scene. As for the DAP, although Lim Kit Siang's defeat is sad and the party's setback is serious, yet it still remains a force to be reckoned with.
PRM may have failed again to win any seat. But its outing this time produced more encouraging results than in the past. Particularly in Selangor and the Federal Territory, where it fielded three candidates, the party managed to get large Malay support. Despite some decrease in non-Malay votes, it has been able to reduce the BN majority. Compared to the 1995 elections, in Ampang, Batu and PJ Selatan, PRM has been able to reduce BN majority from around 30000, 15000 and 11,000 to about 7000, 2000 and 3500 respectively. But PRM performance in Johore has not been as successful although our candidates there also managed to reduce the previous majority.
PRM is heartened by the new-found cooperation between communities of various races, classes and religions. We will certainly continue the struggle for justice, democracy, and transparency as well as for the ordinary people's rights and welfare. We will attempt to forge a much closer cooperation or even unity with other parties in the Barisan Alternatif, starting with keADILan. Our common struggle must go on, and the preparation for the next elections must begin from now.
The party will meet soon to discuss the implications of the elections, future strategy and other matters, including perhaps my own role within the party. Meanwhile, on behalf of PRM I wish to thank all those who have given their support in various ways and those who have voted for our candidates. I would also like to express our appreciation to those who did not vote for us, but who received our candidates with kindness and warmth.
Dr Syed Husin Ali President, PRM
1 Disember 1999