Sarawak By-Election: Old Habits Die Hard


By Tunku Abdul Aziz

Sibu, that remarkable town on the mighty Rejang that the Foochows built all those long years ago with sweat, blood and tears, notched another milestone: the Chinese community decided that May 16 was to be the day when they would show the rest of Malaysia, and indeed the world, that Najib’s largesse however packaged had all the smell of moral decay, or not to put too fine a point on it, undisguised vote buying. This illegal and immoral practice is apparently endorsed and encouraged by both the Election Commission and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission. Sibuans on the other hand would have none of it.

What was so distressing was that the EC and MACC were ever so quick to affix their “No Action” tab on what clearly was corruption committed by Najib who offered financial inducements to the voters of Sibu to return the Barisan Nasional candidate. Similarly they took no action against Najib for his shenanigans in the Hulu Selangor by-election. Most surprising of all, there was not even a whimper from the self-proclaimed anti-corruption fighter, Transparency International Malaysia. Have they decided to flow with the tide of political corruption as well? Najib’s practice of bribing voters into supporting his election agenda shows a complete and utter disdain for public opinion and the law.

What is the point of spending hundreds of millions on beefing the MACC up, already bloating and bursting at the seams with gross inefficiency, when the prime minister bribes the voters of Sibu, with complete arrogance and impunity? To our complete surprise, the good citizens of Sibu, unlike some of their fellow citizens elsewhere, turned up their collective nose and gave Najib the elbow, more or less telling him to “take a running jump into the Rejang.”

I had misjudged the mood and the strength of character of the people of Sibu, thinking that the dangling by Najib of the millions of ringgit from his slush funds would be enough to overcome any moral scruples they might have had. I spent six days in Sibu shaking hundreds of Chinese, Malay and Iban hands. And never for a moment did it dawn on me that the Foochows of Sibu would stand up to Najib, who in the end was reduced to a figure of fun and ridicule, being described as Santa Claus dispensing ill-will instead of good cheer. Money may buy some of the people some of the time, but in Sibu principles won the day. They had had a surfeit of corruption, in all its manifestations, in their dealings with the Taib administration, and they did not need anymore of it.

It took a lot of courage and determination to withstand the onslaught of raw power of a prime minister, particularly one of indeterminate ethical provenance. As if that was not intimidating enough, they had a chief minister, so I was told who rules with an iron fist in a silken glove to contend with and whose voracious appetite for self-enrichment has long been whispered about by people too frightened to speak up against grand corruption at the top. His unbridled excesses would make Robert Mugabe look like Mother Teresa. And where is the much touted independent corruption commission?

To all those who voted for change for a better Sibu, a Sarawak free from the shackles of wonton, unremitting greed of one man and his family, and a Malaysia fit for all, regardless of who we are, I have this to say. You have, by your robust, ethical response to Najib’s unprincipled behaviour, earned for yourselves an honourable place in the pages our country’s history. Sibu has restored my faith in my fellow citizens who possess in large measure attributes that once inspired my old English headmaster at the Sultan Abdul Hamid College in Alor Setar to coin the phrase “the excellency of man.”

What Sibu has done will resonate in the weeks, months and years to come in the rest of this country. Najib’s approach to the Sibu campaign was unbelievably crude as well as insulting to the dignity of the Sibuans, particularly the proud Foochows. For him to apply the principle of one size fits all when he merrily parachuted into Sibu on what he thought was a his fail-safe “vote for money’ mission was totally ill-advised and insensitive. Najib is a believer in the exercise of power through the money bag.

The voters of Sibu knew Najib’s weaknesses more than he was prepared to concede, and while they were happy enough with the goodies he threw at them, they were suspicious of the proverbial “Greek bearing gifts.” In the event, the citizens of Sibu shut the city gate in his face, having taken the money and voting for the opposition. Good try, Najib. Winning the hearts and minds with your heart and not your pocket is a better option; it is more honourable and less likely to get you into trouble with the MACC, if and when it finally decides to open its eyes.

  1. #1 by rahmanwang on Saturday, 22 May 2010 - 7:22 am

    You are correct Tunku.Najib think that by sprinkling a few million of ‘people’s’ money he can buy their votes.Hard luck.Malaysian are more educated now.

  2. #2 by pulau_sibu on Saturday, 22 May 2010 - 7:57 am

    As a fair game, the million of ringgits should now be handed over to the winner. Let Wong Ho Leng control the flood using the budget. If not, Najiv is just punishing the people. More people will be angry with him.

  3. #3 by SENGLANG on Saturday, 22 May 2010 - 8:31 am

    Honestly until now I still can not reconciled how such a deal can be openly announce by no other than a person who is PM. He show no shame and it was the most insult to the people intelligence. But good thing was that it did not work this time. It will bring down fall to BN . BN has come to dead end, they only way to survive is make change as what the people want. PR is on its way and it is only naturally as it is the wish of people which will prevail at the end of the day.

  4. #4 by chengho on Saturday, 22 May 2010 - 8:49 am

    Racist issue taking precedent over the development issue afterall the foochow quite rich in Sibu unlike their remote neighbours..

  5. #5 by pulau_sibu on Saturday, 22 May 2010 - 8:53 am

    Wong Soon Koh is really disgusting. He was the chief of SUPP Sibu, who led the by-election and lost it. He said he did not really know what the Chinese wanted!

    Now he is leading the BN in the State Assembly to suspend or expel the opposition members. He is the agent of Taib Mahmud. He did not learn from the lesson. He is going to bring SUPP to the coffin. I hope Najiv will see the truth. The whole mess in Sibu was due to his poor leadership.

    How can he simply punish the YB elected by the people at his wish? Yet he has courage to ask for the people’s support?

  6. #6 by steven chan on Saturday, 22 May 2010 - 9:09 am

    Its indeed GOD’s intervention that inspite of EC’s malpractices by allowing phantom voters to vote, refusing to allow spoilt votes to be counted and the PM’s overt and blatant offer of bribery the ppl of sibu wisdom of choice prevailed. Thanks to the hard work of PKR agents who diligently combed all the suspicious activities of EC.

    HS could similarly be won if PR agents had been more alert of the unscrupulous activities of EC. There is a need to completely revamp EC and be run by an independent body.

  7. #7 by monsterball on Saturday, 22 May 2010 - 9:43 am

    This country under UMNO B is so clear…being governed by a gang of robbers and thieves.
    All gangster chief love to have more and more bodyguards…to feel safe.
    You will know Chengho is from a Tong Sampah school……who have decided to be an apple polisher to Najib… with his kind of stupid comments.

  8. #8 by undertaker888 on Saturday, 22 May 2010 - 9:50 am

    this is plain daylight hypocrisy. you know now why this evil regime will not change. EC is behaving the same as before. MACC the same. PDRM continue to shoot.

    if the event in sibu can be repeated all over the country, you will see an exodus of foreign exchange in gargantuan figures. you will know those bn goons are bailing out.

  9. #9 by monsterball on Saturday, 22 May 2010 - 10:35 am

    Mahathir got nightmares watching “AVATAR” where the minority crushed the mighty tanks ans robots with the help of the tree God…sensing dinosaurs and birds to help..the minorities equipped with bows and arrows.
    You see..when you are filled with guilty conscience ..everything you see…that turns out good will frighten you.
    ‘Lets make a deal. You deliver Robert Lau to me on Sunday…and Monday..I will prepare the RM5 cheque for you. I never broke a promise in my life”
    hahahahahahahaha…His first promise broken to Tunku Razaleigh still have Razaleigh never forgiven him..after more than 30 years.
    Have you eve seem Razaleigh and Najib together shaking hands and smiling?
    Can you expect a compulsive liar to keep his promises?

  10. #10 by Bunch of Suckers on Saturday, 22 May 2010 - 11:11 am

    chengho :
    Racist issue taking precedent over the development issue afterall the foochow quite rich in Sibu unlike their remote neighbours..

    Yes! “You changehole; I changehole” pussi-kat NR…..

  11. #11 by newchief on Saturday, 22 May 2010 - 11:44 am

    dear tunku, dtk lim and malaysian citizens :
    though najib really ‘was against the law’ to bribe in the last campaigns, no actions were taken either by ec or macc because both these ‘dogs’ have not dare to charge at its master .

    najib beefing up macc and ec is wholely to bn’s advantage so as for the oppositions, better watch out how you play during campaigning becuase these dogs are ready to attck you at anytime UNLESS YOU BECOME THE MASTER !!!

  12. #12 by limkamput on Saturday, 22 May 2010 - 12:30 pm

    Yes, the people of Sibu have spoken loud and clear. But is this enough? What is the next step and has the opposition prepared for it? The people of Myanmar have spoken loud and clear for decades, but what difference did that make? The red shirts too have spoken loud, asking for re-election because the handsome boy Abisit’s government is not really legitimate. But what have they achieved so far other than deaths, burning and arson in the streets.

    Tunku, you have rightly mentioned that the MACC and perhaps the police and judiciary are closing both eyes to all the bunkums that are going on. But this is precisely the issue we fear most. How would the power of the people get translated into substantive power when all the apparatuses within the present government are so adamant (out of their own survival perhaps) in supporting the rotten regime. Let’s talk frankly, mamathir would prefer to die than to see Anwar sworn in as the new PM of Malaysia.

    One more point: the majority was only 398 in Sibu. There was still a sizeable number of Sibuans voted for BN who probably saw nothing wrong with the present governments, both federal and state. If indeed people are convinced of the numerous and countless misdeeds, policy missteps and fiasco committed, PR should have won effortlessly in every by election from now, including the recent one in Hulu Selangor. I am wary. I am wary BN are slowly turning around the support of one particular community while at the same time buying time using 1Malaysia. I think we have seen enough of incumbent governments, having lost the support of the majority, have continued to rule for a long time and there is not a damn thing we can do about it.

  13. #13 by k1980 on Saturday, 22 May 2010 - 12:30 pm

    1tuapekkong — Votes first — Tipu Now

  14. #14 by ekompute on Saturday, 22 May 2010 - 3:33 pm

    http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/breakingviews/article/the-rise-and-rise-of-pakatan-dzulkefly-ahmad/

    Nice article at MalaysianInsider.com… so well-written and so perceptive!

    QUOTE: “… for the record, Pakatan has won 8 out of the 11 contests after the last General Election of March 2008, a watershed in Malaysian political history. Yes Pakatan is surely the better coalition for now, in addressing the multi-racial needs and the unending crises of this failing nation. But are we witnessing the rise and rise of Pakatan? Not quite so and not quite as yet, this writer opines.”

    Pakatan still won in Sibu despite Najib’s dirty tactics which the writer describes as “disgusting, to say it politely and criminal at worst!”

    Truth be said, if given only a choice to win either Hulu Selangor or Sibu, I bet Pakatan will choose Sibu not because Hulu Selangor is not good but because Sibu is the ice-breaker for Pakatan’s grand entry into East Malaysia. The winds of change are now blowing to the East and UMNO’s fixed deposit is in grave danger.

    UMNO is now desperate and like a spider caught in its own web, the more it struggles, the more it gets entangled. For an UMNO Prime Minister to stoop so low does show how desperate they now are. Hulu Selangor cannot exactly be called a BN win because we all know how it was won, not to mention the slim majority in what used to be a traditional UMNO stronghold. The 13th general election will be a day of reckoning for UMNO if it does not change. But like a heavy smoker-cum-drug addict, change seems almost impossible. All these augur well for Pakatan, so long as the three parties remain united and PKR does not become too arrogant. By the way, what is there for PKR to be arrogant when they are the weakest party among all three!

  15. #15 by boh-liao on Saturday, 22 May 2010 - 3:35 pm

    PR shld hv big notice boards in Sibu to say THANK YOU 2 brave n incorruptible voters there, if not oredi done

    If eventually PR manages 2 wrest contol of Sarawak n Sabah fr BN, dis 516 victory must b honored in our textbooks as d DAY dat Sibuans REJECTED our corrupt PM 2 start d revolutuon against d corrpt regime of BN

  16. #16 by ekompute on Saturday, 22 May 2010 - 3:47 pm

    limkamput :
    If indeed people are convinced of the numerous and countless misdeeds, policy missteps and fiasco committed, PR should have won effortlessly in every by election from now, including the recent one in Hulu Selangor. I am wary. I am wary BN are slowly turning around the support of one particular community while at the same time buying time using 1Malaysia. I think we have seen enough of incumbent governments, having lost the support of the majority, have continued to rule for a long time and there is not a damn thing we can do about it.

    Limkamput, I understand where you are coming from but at least, there are enough people like me who has awakened, unlike in the past. I am a born-again Malaysian. In the past, I always think, “Vote or don’t vote, UMNO is sure to win, why bother to vote?” but now I think, “If I don’t vote, Pakatan may lose.” You see the difference?

  17. #17 by ekompute on Saturday, 22 May 2010 - 5:22 pm

    The Star Online reports: “The MIC top leadership supports president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu’s plan to step down in September next year, nine months before his term expires… Samy Vellu has already informed the Barisan Nasional leadership.”

    We know UMNO wants Samy Vellu to resign.
    I guess the next general election is coming soon before things get from bad to worse for UMNO. UMNO is rotting while Pakatan is gaining strength and the longer they wait, the worse it is for them. Seems like next the general election will be before 1 July 2011, otherwise why is it that UMNO cannot wait another 9 months for Samy Vellu to finish his term? And why can’t Samy Vellu drop dead now? Simply because he refuses to resign and September is the longest that UMNO allows, LOL.

  18. #18 by limkamput on Saturday, 22 May 2010 - 5:23 pm

    YOU said you understand where I am coming from and yet when reading your comment, you don’t seem to understand. Winning the election is the first step, of course the most important legitimate step in any democratic system. However, increasingly, I have this inking that it may not be enough, given the tribal mentality of so many within the incumbent government and those in the supposedly independent institutions. Democratic value and system are thus far grudgingly respected and adhered to because they have continued to win election after election since independence. If they start to lose big, I doubt they will gentlemanly vacate the power and succumb to the dictate of the people. My fear is not completely unsubstantiated. Just look at events following 1969 election when the Alliance lost big. Look at the fate of Stephen Kalong Ningkan, the first CM of Sarawak. Look also at the first Parti Bersatu Sabah government when there was almost a coup staged. And since March 2008, just look at the numerous spanners being thrown into the democratic system.

  19. #19 by ekompute on Saturday, 22 May 2010 - 6:43 pm

    Hi Limkamput, I know you are saying that even if Pakatan Rakyat wins, the problems will not be over. In fact, I did say in one of my mails in an earlier thread that I feel the ominous signs that something untoward will happen to Malaysia if PR wins the next general election because UMNO is a sore loser. As you know, Malaysia is UMNO’s piggy bank and when it comes to money, some people are prepared to kill even their own father. But what is the alternative? To keep electing UMNO into power?

  20. #20 by monsterball on Saturday, 22 May 2010 - 8:12 pm

    “To keep electing UMNO into power?”…said ekompute.
    Wise question for the weak hearts and selfish buggers.
    Let events come and we will face all with no fear.

  21. #21 by undertaker888 on Saturday, 22 May 2010 - 8:17 pm

    1969? We are no longer in that era where we have communism vs capitalism. Soviet union vs USA. If we are not happy with this side we can go to that side. It is over. Just the dinosaur umno is stuck in those time capsule because the old regime mentality does not change with time.

    Well if they want to create another may13, let them have it. This time around the world will be watching. This time around they could lose Sabah and Sarawak and a lot more.

  22. #22 by ekompute on Saturday, 22 May 2010 - 8:33 pm

    undertaker888 :
    Well if they want to create another may13, let them have it. This time around the world will be watching. This time around they could lose Sabah and Sarawak and a lot more.

    Hahaha, you mean we can watch the new May 13 live and on Youtube? Yip, yip hooray!

  23. #23 by limkamput on Saturday, 22 May 2010 - 9:05 pm

    But what is the alternative? To keep electing UMNO into power?//ekompute

    This is the problem, when did I ever say the alternative is to keep electing UMNO. I am asking the opposition to look ahead of the election. Only nincompoops will continue to talk about election election and election, the chief of which is that that loose cannon ball. For someone about to die of heart failure, surely weak heart is a major concern, but not me, I can jog 5 km a day, no problem.

  24. #24 by ekompute on Saturday, 22 May 2010 - 9:19 pm

    Sounds like a far-sighted individual, Limkamput! Ya, sometimes I wonder why the political parties are so active only during election campaigns. To win a battle without fighting is the highest art, says Sun Tzu. Pakatan can take a lesson from that, work hard during non-election time so that it can enjoy itself with a toothpick during election time, LOL.

  25. #25 by dagen on Saturday, 22 May 2010 - 9:19 pm

    Limkamput is right indeed. There is always that window of time between losing in an election (I am being presumptious here but am optimistically so) and finally vacating and making way for the new people to come in and take over. It is in respect of that window of time that pakatan must prepare themselves well and must be ready for nasty eventualities. Pakatan were not prepared the last time. As a result, toyol-the-indon could find time to retrieve and destroy documents and things from their offices. But destroying / removing documents is only a small issue compared to what limkamput feared umno could do. Perhaps an overwhelming win for pakatan could do the trick and prevent umno from misbehaving. But what we really do not want is a hung parliament like in uk now.

    So keep focus. Voters still want change. The many by-elections held in the last 2plus yrs tell us so. And we ought to be able to bank on that. Besides, umno is not doing anything positive or substantial to deal with such voters’ sentiment. In fact umno is doing the very opposite. We must focus on winning big in GE13. Use MLM skills for those who are knowledgeable. Use the cyberspace. Use any and whatever legitimate means there are to bring umno and bn down big time in GE13.

  26. #26 by ekompute on Saturday, 22 May 2010 - 10:05 pm

    dagen :
    Use MLM skills for those who are knowledgeable. Use the cyberspace. Use any and whatever legitimate means there are to bring umno and bn down big time in GE13.

    Yes, Pakatan can indeed take a lesson from MLM to cover the ground fast. In so long as their policies are sound and just, it will succeed like wild fire with MLM techniques.

    UMNO is saddled by self-interest parties and even if it practise the MLM system, it will find itself broke in no time, if the only thing they know how is to buy people. The multiplier effect will kill them quickly.

  27. #27 by sheriff singh on Sunday, 23 May 2010 - 1:30 am

    “Sibu, that remarkable town on the mighty Rejang that the Foochows built all those long years ago with sweat, blood and tears,…..”

    Not only in Sibu, but in so many other places in Sabah, Sarawak and West Malaysia, where much blood, sweat and tears were expended to make us what we are today.

    Yet all non-Malays, people who have come and help develop this country in their own ways and make this country their home, are still regarded as ‘pendatangs’ and are are still not welcomed by some parties who wish to see them all gone.

    We have still a long way to go when all of us will be 1.

  28. #28 by ekompute on Sunday, 23 May 2010 - 6:01 am

    sheriff singh :
    Yet all non-Malays, people who have come and help develop this country in their own ways and make this country their home, are still regarded as ‘pendatangs’ and are are still not welcomed by some parties who wish to see them all gone.

    Many Malays have the misconception that Malaysia will be like what it is today without the non-Malays. And so they think how nice if they can have all the wealth by themselves. Even though they have eyes, they cannot see what happens to the country during the one week CNY holidays when the first two official public holidays are over.

    Wealth is created not only by natural resources but also by sweat, toil, brainwork and entrepreneurship. To these Malays, they only think of one thing… a share of the wealth, not a share of the work. Malaysia would have resembled another province of Indonesia without the non-Malays.

    Some 300,000 Malaysians migrated in the last 18 months. When most of the non-Malays are gone, they can look back to the good old days but without brains, they would still be wondering what happened, LOL.

  29. #29 by ekompute on Sunday, 23 May 2010 - 6:11 am

    limkamput :
    If they start to lose big, I doubt they will gentlemanly vacate the power and succumb to the dictate of the people. My fear is not completely unsubstantiated.

    Well, I suspected that too, looking at the way they are now beefing up the armed forces as if they are going for war. What do you think of a person who does something wrong and blame it on the other person? Well, that’s exactly what May 13 is about, if you were to read Dr. Kua Kia Soong’s book, May 13: Declassified Documents on the Malaysian Riots of 1969. UMNO will do anything if it loses. The word “gentleman” was never in their vocabulary after Tunku stepped down.

  30. #30 by monsterball on Sunday, 23 May 2010 - 7:42 am

    Not to worry ekompute.
    Vote for change in government…..and the rest will take care of themselves with no fear.
    UMNO B is not that mighty as you think.

  31. #31 by limkamput on Sunday, 23 May 2010 - 8:44 am

    See this nincompoop ball; he simply has no clue and inkling what we are talking about. Face it, odd ball, you simply don’t have the intellect to discuss bigger issues.

  32. #32 by ekompute on Sunday, 23 May 2010 - 10:15 am

    monsterball :
    Not to worry ekompute.
    Vote for change in government…..and the rest will take care of themselves with no fear.
    UMNO B is not that mighty as you think.

    Hi monsterball…. that was exactly what I was saying to Limkamput when I said “What’s the alternative? To continue to elect UMNO to power?”

    It was a rhetorical question and both you and Limkamput took it literally. It means we have to vote in Pakatan first. But then Limkamput says, “Only nincompoops will continue to talk about election election and election, the chief of which is that that loose cannon ball.” You see the language he uses? Is this the kind of attitude one should adopt in a forum, even if I have a different opinion? Sounds like a scumbag talking about justice and fairness. When people do not agree with him, he derides people and he claims to fight for justice… lick my ass then!

  33. #33 by ekompute on Sunday, 23 May 2010 - 10:34 am

    If Limkamput were to take a mirror at look at his own face, he would have realized that his behaviour is no different from Perkasa and UMNO. He has no tolerance for differing views. Actually, I didn’t disagree with him. Seems like he doesn’t know how to interpret a rhetorical question but can only understand a literal one.

  34. #34 by limkamput on Sunday, 23 May 2010 - 11:12 am

    “Only nincompoops will continue to talk about election election and election, the chief of which is that that loose cannon ball.” //

    Look, I may not know how to interpret your idiosyncrasy rhetoric question, but you cannot understand my simple English. I was not referring to you when I said ..”the chief of which is that loose cannon ball”. That loose cannon ball is the resident odd ball aka monsterball.

  35. #35 by ekompute on Sunday, 23 May 2010 - 11:25 am

    Doesn’t matter who you are referring to but to me, monsterball is not like Chengho. Chengho never gives constructive inputs, just passing remarks.

  36. #36 by ekompute on Sunday, 23 May 2010 - 11:35 am

    http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-forum-etiquette.htm

    Wisegeek.com’s article “What is Forum Etiquette?” says in part:

    “Forum etiquette means maintaining a standard of posting behavior that is acceptable and appropriate… You can disagree with someone’s opinions, but calling that person an idiot or a profane name is a violation of forum etiquette.

    Flaming, or deliberate insults or personal rants, is also against forum etiquette. Flaming is often employed by people who are losing arguments on a forum. Their response is to personally insult the poster disagreeing with them, usually in a long, nasty post.

    Some may say this behavior is more prominent among immature teens, but that is in no way the case. Many of the worst offenders are adults who should know better. The veil of anonymity seems to bring out the worst in these people, and any bullying tendencies they have tend to become magnified in the semi-protection of an anonymous forum.”

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