RM19,000 spent per Kuala Besut voter, Bersih alleges

JULY 22, 2013UPDATED: JULY 22, 2013 05:26 PM

File photo of the busted Lowvier dam in Pengkalan Nangka, Kuala Besut which BN has promised to fix.

PETALING JAYA, July 22 Barisan Nasional (BN) has racked up pledges worth over RM330 million in just 10 days of campaigning in Kuala Besut, according to electoral watchdog Bersih today, or about RM19,000 for every voter in the constituency. This comes even as rivals PAS today questioned the ruling BNs mega projects announced to ostensibly transform the fishing town into a tourism hub, alluding to efforts by the coalition to enrich its own while masquerading as development for the area. Up to last Saturday, as compiled by PAS from media reports, financial promises and allocations by federal and state agencies for the Kuala Besut area have totalled at least RM337,490,750, the watchdog said in a statement. Divided among the 17,679 registered voters, this means a vote in Kuala Besut is worth an unprecedented RM19,089.92 so far, provided that all the election promises are fulfilled. Noting that time still remained on the campaign clock, Bersih said the final figure was set to soar to new heights in Malaysias election history.

Among the projects announced so far are a river dredging project to desilt the estuary of Sungai Besut, a 2km breakwater along the coast, and a project to fix the busted Lowvier dam in Pengkalan Nangka here. During campaigning last week, Terengganu Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Said also told voters that they must support BN in the July 24 by-election to allow planned development there to continue. Deputy Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Tajuddin Abdul Rahman was more discreet when he said on July 14 that the apparent timing of the projects was not made with the election in mind. If aid is given during elections, it is just a coincidence, like my coming to Kuala Besut, it is the custom of the Malays to bring souvenirs to the host, he was quoted as saying by national news agency Bernama. Today, Bersih slammed the practice of timing development projects for elections to enable the ruling party to tap into taxpayers money to generate positive sentiment, saying that such infrastructure projects were the right of all citizens. The corrupt practice of vote-fishing by abusing public funds not only violates the level playing field in election, but it also implies ad-hoc development planning driven by political expediency, hence at the expense of other constituencies, it added. Kuala Besut is considered an Umno stronghold, as it has won there by over 2,000 votes in the previous two elections. But the party and the larger BN coalition are sparing no effort to ensure that it does not fall into PRs hands. BNs Tengku Zaihan Che Ku Abdul Rahman will face local boy from PAS, Azlan Yusof, for the Terengganu state seat in the July 24 by-election which was called following the death of Dr A. Rahman Mokhtar on June 26 from lung cancer. In Election 2013, Dr Rahman had defeated PASs Napisah Ismail with a comfortable 2,434-vote majority. The state seat has 17,679 registered voters, of whom 98 per cent are Malays.

See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/rm19000-spent-perkuala-besut-voter-bersih-alleges#sthash.QWSPSMNa.dpuf

Monday, 22 July 2013 16:55

RM19,000 per voter is OVERKILL - Bersih

Written by BERSIH 2.0

The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections 2.0 (BERSIH 2.0) condemns the rampant vote-fishing with public funds by Federal and State Governments in the Kuala Besut byelection, which went up to more than RM19,000 per voter by the 10th day of the campaign period. Up to last Saturday, as compiled by PAS from media reports, financial promises and allocations by federal and state agencies for the Kuala Besut area have totaled at least RM337,490,750. The agencies involved include the Prime Ministers Department, Education Ministry, Agriculture Ministry, Terengganu State Government, and the Syarikat Perumahan Negara Berhad (SPNB). Divided among the 17,679 registered voters, this means a vote in Kuala Besut is worth an unprecedented RM19,089.92 so far, provided that all the election promises are fulfilled. With three days of campaigning remaining, this figure will surely soar to new heights in Malaysias election history. BERSIH 2.0 questions why marginalised communities must depend on promises during elections and by-elections to get the infrastructural development they are entitled to. The corrupt practice of vote-fishing by abusing public funds not only violates the level playing field in election, but it also implies ad-hoc development planning driven by political expediency, hence at the expense of other constituencies. BERSIH 2.0 calls upon the Kuala Besut voters to vote free from corrupt practices. Citizens are entitled to development funds as of right and this does not absolve those who give it to buy votes, of violating the law. Voters must also be warned that anyone committing an election offence of bribery, treating (including those who vote for a certain party because of bribery or treating),

undue influence or impersonation is liable to a jail term up to two years and/or a fine up to RM 2000 ringgit upon conviction. Considering the significance of the by-election, BERSIH 2.0 further urges all Kuala Besut voters residing or working elsewhere to return to their constituency to vote, to prevent phantom voters from impersonating them and voting on their behalf. BERSIH 2.0 Steering Committee Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (BERSIH 2.0) The Steering Committee of BERSIH 2.0 comprises: Dato Ambiga Sreenevasan (Co-Chairperson), Datuk A. Samad Said (CoChairperson), Ahmad Shukri Abdul Razab, Andrew Ambrose, Andrew Khoo, Anne Lasimbang, Arul Prakkash, Arumugam K., Awang Abdillah, Dr Farouk Musa, Liau Kok Fah, Maria Chin Abdullah, Matthew Vincent, Niloh Ason, Richard Y W Yeoh, Dr Subramaniam Pillay, Dato Dr Toh Kin Woon, Dr Wong Chin Huat, Dato Yeo Yang Poh and Zaid Kamaruddin.

Full article: http://www.malaysia-chronicle.com/index.php? option=com_k2&view=item&id=132912:rm19000-per-voter-is-overkillbersih&Itemid=2#ixzz2Zm5bdHLM

Up to RM19,000 per vote in Kuala Besut

Lisa J. Ariffin | July 22, 2013

Polls watchdog Bersih slams the federal and Terengganu state governments for rampant vote-fishing with up to RM19, 000 per voter.

PETALING JAYA: The Federal and Terengganu state governments were today slammed for rampant vote-fishing by offering up to RM19,000 per voter in the Kuala Besut by-election. Electoral watchdog group Bersih 2.0 today criticised federal and state agencies for making financial promises and allocations totaling at least RM337, 490,750 as of last weekend. Bersih named the agencies involved as the Prime Ministers Department, Education Ministry, Agriculture Ministry, Terengganu state government, and Syarikat Perumahan Negara Berhad (SPNB). Divided among the 17,679 registered voters, this means a vote in Kuala Besut is worth an unprecedented RM19,089.92 so far, Bersih steering committee said in a press statement. With three days of campaigning remaining, this figure will surely soar to new heights in Malaysias election history, they added. They questioned the need for marginalised communities to depend on promises during elections and by-elections to get the infrastructural development they are entitled to. The corrupt practice of vote-fishing by abusing public funds not only violates the level playing field in election, but it also implies ad-hoc development planning driven by political expediency, they said. Citizens are entitled to development funds as of right and this does not absolve those who give it to buy votes and violate the law, they added. Bersih warned voters that anyone committing an election offence of bribery, treating (including those who vote for a certain party because of bribery or treating), undue influence or impersonation is liable to a jail term up to two years and/or a fine up to RM2,000 upon conviction. Considering the significance of the by-election, Bersih further urges all Kuala Besut voters residing or working elsewhere to return to their constituency to vote and prevent phantom voters from impersonating them and voting on their behalf. A win in the Kuala Besut state seat by-election on July 24 is crucial for development programmes planned by the government in the area to be implemented in the best possible manner. The Kuala Besut by-election will see a straight fight between BN candidate Tengku Zaihan Che Ku Abd Rahman, 37, an engineer, and businessman Azlan Jusoh, 48, from PAS. Kuala Besut has 17,679 voters and the by-election is held following the death of the incumbent assemblyman Dr A. Rahman Mokhtar on June 26.

Monday, 22 July 2013 16:54

BN bill in Kuala Besut: RM377.45 million and counting

PAS election director Hatta Ramli said a whopping RM377.45 million worth of federal and state projects have been pledged by the BN in its quest to keep the Kuala Besut state seat when voters go to elect a new state assemblyman this Wednesday. With 48 hours to polling day, Hatta, who described the election promises as bribery, questioned the source of the funds to aid BNs campaign. He said that it was unlikely that the allocation came from the state and federal budgets since announcements of the projects were ad-hoc. "Is the expenditure coming from the federal government or is it using certain funds or is it the royalty payments for the people of Terengganu?" he was quoted as saying by Malaysiakini. Hatta showed a list of projects announced by BN over the past 10 days of campaign, among them a RM250 million project to deepen Sungai Besut, RM35 million worth of upgrading works for a dam in Pengkalan Nangka, RM343,000 upgrading work for a mosque in Kampung Dengir and the construction of a RM28 million secondary school in Alor Peroi, Tok Saboh. Meanwhile, the director of the movement to reinstate oil royalty payments for Terengganu, known as 'R', charged that BN had been using the oil royalty payment to fund its election campaign. This is what happens when the oil royalty is not chanelled through the state government, said R's spokesman Naraza Muda. A win by PAS in Kuala Besut would result in equal distribution of seats between Pakatan Rakyat and BN in the Terengganu state assembly. PAS has said that such a 'hung assembly' would put the BN state government on its toes and ensure a more accountable state assembly.

- Harakahdaily
Full article: http://www.malaysia-chronicle.com/index.php? option=com_k2&view=item&id=132902:bn-bill-in-kuala-besut-rm37745-million-andcounting&Itemid=2#ixzz2Zm6Vs1Eo