Kuek Ser Kuang Keng | Jan 30, 11 4:50pm Malaysiakini
The day-long downpour in Tenang had caused flooding in many areas across this rural constituency in Johor, rendering several of the 12 polling stations inaccessible to voters.
Pakatan Rakyat complained that this had significantly reduced the turnout of Chinese voters, considered the ‘vote bank’ for the opposition.
Although police, army, the Civil Defence Department and various government agencies had been deployed to assist the voters to get to the polling stations, Pakatan leaders are upset that the assistance were not provided equally to all.
According to them, more transportation facilities were deployed in Felda areas, which are BN strongholds.
“Why are there no boats to ferry the voters in Labis town, which is also flooded, but Felda gets all the police and fire department boats?” asked DAP publicity chief Tony Pua in a tweet message.
BN secured 80 percent of votes in the three Felda settlements in Tenang in the 2008 general election.
“The failure to provide sufficient boats and trucks, and distribute them evenly across all polling districts will severely tilt the outcome of this by-election.
“The police and army should not just provide their assistance to selective areas because the flood is everywhere in the constituency.” he added when contacted by Malaysiakini.
‘Opposition voters discriminated’
At least two polling stations – SMK Kamarul Ariffin and Kampung Paya Merah multi-purpose hall in Labis town – were inaccessible due to high water level.
The former is the polling station for Bandar Labis Tengah polling district while the other is polling station for Bandar Labis Timur polling district – both predominantly Chinese areas which were won by PAS in the last general election.
Out of 12 polling districts, PAS won in three – all of which are Chinese-majority areas – in the last general election.
In addition, Johor DAP Youth chief Tan Hong Pin claimed that the army trucks that went into Chinese residential areas had refused to fetch voters whom they suspect were opposition supporters.
“It happened at Kampung Paya Merah,” claimed Tan when contacted.
Johor DAP Wanita chief Chew Peck Choo also alleged that army trucks had selectively picked up voters based on their ethnicity.
“PAS supporters complained to me that the army trucks refused to pick up opposition supporters or were slow in picking them up,” she told Malaysiakini.
According to Selangor DAP Youth publicity chief Lim Swee Kuan, as of 3pm, the voters turnout at Tenang Station polling district was 47.72 percent and 54.69 percent for Bandar Labis Timur – way below the average turnout rate of 65.19 percent.
Tenang Station is another Chinese-majority polling station, but this area was won by BN in 2004.
DAP Serdang MP Teo Nie Ching had openly decried that the turnout rate in Chinese areas reached only 20 percent at 1pm compared with 50 percent in the Malay-majority Felda settlements. The overall turnout rate at 1pm was 55.36 percent.
In her micro-blogging website Twitter, Teo posted several mobile numbers of DAP helpers and called on Chinese voters to contact them for transportation to get to their polling station.
“Urgent! Chinese voters turnout rate is very low. Pakatan candidate needs your vote, please called on your friends, relatives and neighbours to go and vote as soon as possible,” she posted.
No suspension of polls, says EC
According to reports, Election Commission (EC) chairperson Abdul Aziz Yusof said there will be extension of the polling period.
Although some roads leading to the polling stations had been cut off by floods, government agencies are helping to fetch the voters with their heavy vehicles and boats, said Abdul Aziz.
He said that no polling stations will be closed.
Extension of polling time is not allowed under the current election law, added EC deputy chairperson Wan Ahmad Wan Omar.
Meanwhile, Johor PAS deputy commissioner and Tenang election director Dzulkefly Ahmad told Malaysiakini that PAS is trying their best to mobilise their supporters to vote before polling comes to a close at 5pm.
“I have contacted EC and they said they will stick to their original plan.”
PAS has yet to decide whether the polling should be called off, he said.
Asked whether the low turnout would jeopardise PAS’ support, Dzulkefly said a low turnout of Chinese voters would benefit BN, but if Malay voters were affected than it would be an advantage to PAS.
“However, the Chinese voters turnout so far has been low. We are mobilising our machinery to get them to vote.”
“We are also working hand-in-hand with the EC to help get the voters to the polling stations.”
Johor DAP chief Dr Boo Cheng Hau too was worried.
“We are worry about the low turnout of Chinese voters because they are our vote bank. We are doing our best to send four-wheel drive vehicles to fetch them.
“We also asked EC to inform the marine police and Civil Defence Department to send their boats and heavy trucks to fetch the voters,” he said when contacted.
Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin had said earlier today that the floods might affect the coalition’s chances of winning big.