BN 'giving Orang Asli chiefs RM20,000 each'

By Muda Mohd Noor - Free Malaysia Today

HULU SELANGOR: Barisan Nasional is bribing Orang Asli village heads with RM20,000 each to help ensure the victory of its candidate in Sunday’s by-election, according to a PKR official and pro-opposition Orang Asli campaigners.



PKR information chief Tan Yee Kew said Orang Asli “volunteers” had complained to the party that village heads were being induced and sometimes threatened into keeping Pakatan Rakyat workers and supporters out of Orang Asli settlements in the area.

“Some volunteers have told us that the Tok Batins have been given RM20,000 each by Umno to organise many activities,” Tan said.

“They also said the young were being tempted with cash and entertainment.”

Tan’s statement came at the heel of a press conference in which Orang Asli campaigner Podir Kadir, 45, spoke of concerts and parties organised by the Orang Asli Affairs Department (JHEOA) that ended in “happy hour” time.

“They (BN) hold parties from 8 pm to 11 pm every night, and after that they give out money and entertain Orang Asli until they are drunk,” Podir said.

“We don’t like this. They are using us and spoiling our young.”

Podir is one of the Orang Asli volunteers from Pahang who are in Hulu Selangor to campaign for Pakatan candidate Zaid Ibrahim. Their role is to explain to the Orang Asli communities their right to preserve their heritage, including land.

But it has been an uphill battle for them; they have been barred from entering any of the 16 settlements here.

Podir spoke of an incident in which a state assemblyman from BN had tried to buy votes in the Kampung Gerachi Jaya settlement.

“The YB came from Pekan, but I don’t know his name,” he said. “He asked us all to support BN if we wanted more money.”

He said JHEOA officials were with the BN man from Pekan.

Department running campaign for BN

Pakatan has alleged that JHEOA is running the BN campaign machine in all the settlements.

Hulu Selangor is home to more than 3,000 Orang Asli, of whom 1,000 are voters.

The BN game plan, according to critics, is to confine the Orang Asli and lull their senses to ensure absolute support on Sunday. They say this is done through the JHEOA and the police bases that have been set up overnight in all the 16 villages.

Selangor executive councillor Elizabeth Wong has lambasted BN for what she said was a “blatant abuse” of power.

“This has never happened before and shouldn't be allowed to happen,” she said.

“The Public Service Act clearly prohibits civil servants from participating in political campaigns, and vote buying is an election offence. The JHEOA has violated these laws.”

There are altogether 64,500 registered voters in Hulu Selangor, and they will be choosing between Zaid and BN’s P Kamalanathan.

The seat fell vacant when PKR’s Zainal Abidin Ahmad died on March 25.

Many believe it will be a narrow win for either candidate. Zainal Abidin won by 198 votes in the March 2008 general election.