DAP warns of ‘dirtiest’ election ever

By Shannon Teoh

August 03, 2011

PR fears that BN will adopt a no-holds-barred approach to retaining power. — file pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 3 — Pakatan Rakyat (PR) sounded the alarm today over its claims that the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) is registering foreign workers and permanent residents as voters ahead of a general election expected by the opposition soon after the Hari Raya celebrations.

The opposition pact claimed to have evidence of permanent residents being given citizenships in exchange for votes, and will hold a press conference on the matter this afternoon.

DAP publicity chief Tony Pua said that news reports yesterday of permanent residents being granted voting rights are raising “alarm bells over the integrity of our national security systems because of the flagrant abuse and manipulation of our citizen data.”

“Based on the evidence of rampant cheating on the electoral rolls, the 13th general election will be the dirtiest election in Malaysia’s history,” he said in a statement this morning.

Sensing federal polls are near, PR has increased claims of electoral fraud this year and also backed the July 9 Bersih rally calling for free and fair elections, which saw tens of thousands pouring into the capital, only to be dispersed by police tear gas and water cannons.

In May, PKR women’s wing chief Zuraida Kamaruddin showed reporters a letter purportedly written by Hulu Selangor Umno to the home ministry asking for it to grant citizenship to a list of 2,000 foreign workers.

Both PAS and PKR have also claimed evidence of voters being registered in more than one constituency and dozens of voters said to be sharing the same address.

“The above cases prove beyond doubt that there is an unholy conspiracy between BN, the Election Commission as well as the National Registration Department to cheat their way to victory in the next general election,” Pua added.

The Petaling Jaya Utara MP also noted that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had called on BN to regain Selangor “at all costs”, and warned that if “intimidation and the buying of votes do not assure them of success, BN would blatantly cheat its way to victory.”

PKR vice president Nurul Izzah Anwar also said yesterday that it would be “immoral” for BN to call for elections before electoral reforms demanded by Bersih were met.

The ruling coalition suffered its worst ever electoral result in 2008, ceding five states and its customary two-thirds majority of Parliament after the opposition pact stormed to 82 federal seats.