The federal opposition coalition said that since the home minister had failed to give his assurance that the authorities will do its bit to protect them, PR is bracing for more political violence prior to and during Election 2013.
"The politics of slander and violence is definitely on the rise and we the leadership of PR is bracing for this," Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim told reporters after chairing the pact's leaders council meeting at PKR's headquarters here.
Anwar, the de facto leader of PR's anchor party PKR, said the anticipation comes amid the pact's preparation to launch its polls campaign nationwide.
Speaking at the same press conference, DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang blasted Hishammuddin's statement as unbecoming of a minister tasked to protect internal security.
"This will make it the dirtiest elections. This trend must be checked and stopped. We are becoming the laughing stock of the world," Lim said.
The Ipoh Timur lawmaker added that Hishammuddin (picture) had also indirectly supported violence against the opposition by inciting hatred among government supporters in his speech on Sunday.
Party workers had shouted "Kill Tian Chua" when the Umno vice-president urged them to rally behind Barisan Nasional (BN) and "eliminate traitors" like PKR vice-president Chua Tian Chang, better known as Tian Chua, whose allies in Pakatan Rakyat (PR) have been accused of instigating the Sulu invasion of Sabah.
Hishammuddin admitted yesterday that political violence in the country was worsening, but accused PR of exploiting the situation to sow hatred for the government and the police.
He also noted that more incidents of violence might occur during the campaign period of Election 2013, which is expected to be held in weeks, due to the shortage of policemen.
His statement drew flak from poll reform group Bersih 2.0 who urged the minister to censure Umno supporters for the threat or risk being blacklisted by polls watchdog Bersih 2.0 for condoning political violence.
PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu echoed Lim's view that Hishammuddin as a minister should adopt a non-partisan stand against political violence.
"But instead he said we should expect more violence," he said.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, along with leaders from BN component parties, signed Transparency International-Malaysia's Election Integrity Pledge last month in a move they claimed displayed their seriousness in playing fair in the upcoming polls.
But Najib and his coalition have come under heavy fire for their muted response to several violent attacks on the opposition, allegedly perpetrated by BN supporters or members of hardline groups linked to Umno, the ruling coalition's Malay lynchpin.
Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's tour in Johor was attacked with nails and stones last September.
At another incident in Pahang last month, Anwar's daughter, Nurul Izzah, was almost physically assaulted by Umno supporters. Although her supporters managed to prevent it, the PKR vice-president continued to be verbally abused.
On March 12, suspected Umno members were again implicated in a violent attack on the opposition, including a threat to torch PKR's headquarters in Petaling Jaya just days after the party's leadership alleged assault by BN supporters in Malacca.
Members from right-wing groups pelted rocks, sticks and traffic cones on the PKR building. A few torched the party's flag. The incident took place under police observation. No action, however, was taken.
40 comments:
In their quest to win our votes, Malaysia's political parties have a duty to be honest and factual in what they say. Lying, scaremongering and otherwise deceiving voters is a betrayal of the trust that is fundamental in a democracy.
Those parties also owe it to voters to ask questions before presenting anything they see or hear as fact. But this process was sadly absent this week when PAS seized on a patently false letter stating that uncollected Mykad and Mykid identity cards are being sent to Sabah and handed out to foreigners so they can vote at GE13.
Without pausing for a moment to check its veracity, PAS vice-president Datuk Mahfuz Omar has righteously demanded the Government explain the letter. The implication being that the mythical beneficiaries of these ID cards are being roped in to vote for Sabah BN candidates.
"I am concerned that these identity cards, which should be destroyed, are being given to foreigners to allow them to vote," he thundered, before bothering to wonder out loud if the document was indeed genuine.
Had Mahfuz taken just a minute to check with the National Registration Department, he would have found out that the letter is an unsophisticated fake. That's exactly what Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hussein did when the matter was brought to his attention, before admonishing Mahfuz
"People should stop believing these kind of rumours as it is dangerously misleading and it is meant for political purposes," he said.
But Hishamuddin is giving PAS too much credit. The Islamist party didn't check for the simple reason that they didn't want to spoil an anti-Government story with the inconvenient truth. And it's not just any anti-government story, but one that plays on the rakyat's unfounded fears of unchecked immigration from the Philippines and Indonesia.
Interestingly, the story was treated as absolutely verified by the depressing Malaysia Chronicle. At least this means we know what this tawdry site's role will be for Pakatan Rakyat as we near GE13.
So why did Mahfuz choose to make political capital from a false letter, yet fail to mention that 446,219 illegal immigrants have been deported from Sabah in the past 22 years? Or that 879 illegal immigrants were deported in January alone?
Perhaps it is because these are facts that don't suit PAS or Pakatan Rakyat. These numbers were offered in evidence at the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) this week by Datuk Suhaimi Mohd Salleh of the Federal Special Taskforce, but they don't chime with Mahfuz's negative agenda.
Immigration, both legal and illegal, is a highly-emotive sensitive issue around the world. It requires a measured response by Government which is exactly what is occurring in this country.
Seeking to exploit it for political gain is one thing, but relying on documents that can exposed as forgeries with a single phone call is downright irresponsible.
Mahfuz's antics are a warning to voters. As the election approaches and the Opposition parties get desperate, they will resort to tactics both fair and foul to win our trust. Voters must not fall for it.
Inspektor Mohamad Hasnal Jamil menanggung kesakitan hampir 21 jam akibat ditembak dan tangan kanannya hampir putus ditetak berkali-kali oleh pengganas Sulu di Semporna awal Mac lalu, dan hari ini, beliau berkongsi cerita tanpa sedikit pun semangat juangnya luntur demi negara.
"Cuma sedikit terkilan dengan pandangan sesetengah pihak yang mengatakan peristiwa itu hanya sandiwara. Kami tidak minta dihargai cukuplah percaya apa yang kami lalui bukan perkara main-main.
"Kami berjuang demi bangsa dan negara. Kalau sesiapa yang mengatakan ia sandiwara, jika berani pergilah ke sana dan lihatlah sendiri," katanya pada majlis penghargaan dan sumbangan perwira 'Operasi Daulat' oleh Kementerian Perdagangan Dalam Negeri, Koperasi dan Kepenggunaan di sini.
Menurut Mohamad Hasnal, 31, beliau ditembak tiga kali mengenai perut dan lengan kirinya, ditetak tiga kali di kepala dan tiga kali di tangan kanan semasa bertempur dengan musuh di Kampung Seri Jaya, Semunul, Semporna Sabah, kira-kira pukul 7.30 malam, 2 Mac lepas.
Anak kelahiran, Felda Teloi Timur, Sik Kedah itu berkata apa yang dialami tidak melemahkan semangatnya untuk terus menabur bakti, kerana baginya insiden ini antara cabaran dalam tugasan, dan tanggungjawabnya mempertahan kedaulatan negara.
We were forced to endure DAP advisor and head of the Lim Dynasty Lim Kit Siang using the tragic death of six-year-old William Yau Zhen Zhong to score cheap political points. Two days after his body was found Kit Siang tweeted: "6 years William Yau's tragic death-apart from Umno/BN ministers/leaders, Malaysia just not safe even for Children like William ".
How any politician could hijack the private suffering of William's grieving parents for his own political cause beggars belief. What we have seen so far is only the start. Is it too much to ask that the candidates campaign fairly as we head to GE13? Or are these dirty tricks a sign or worse things to come?
The most prominent ever.
I would like to see NS now.
Pakatan is creating story now.
I thought Rafizi is endorsing now.
This is merely sarcastic way of thinking.
Ada2 saja pengakuan yang ntah apa2 ini.
The fundamental knowledge of a person.
Nazri how?
Pakatan is desperately in dire of attention.
POLITICS: Opposition not fit to govern
Early elections are a possibility
Bersekongkol dengan media asing dan melakukan propaganda kononnya pembangkang akan menang dalam Pilihan Raya Umum Ke-13 adalah kaedah terbaharu pembangkang untuk menghakis keyakinan rakyat terhadap Barisan Nasional (BN).
Menteri Besar, Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman berkata, cara itu digunakan bagi membayangkan kononnya pihak antarabangsa meramalkan keputusan Pilihan Raya Umum Ke-13 akan berpihak kepada pembangkang dengan harapan dapat mempengaruhi rakyat untuk tidak mengundi BN.
Mereka guna laporan luar negara dan penganalisis politik asing pula akan berkata pembangkang boleh menang dengan mudah. Rupa-rupanya mereka menggunakan kawan-kawan dari negara lain yang menyokong mereka untuk menabur cerita dan dakyah akan menang dalam pilihan raya umum akan datang.
Kalau tidak menang, mereka akan menjatuhkan kerajaan dengan cara lain, akan membuat tindakan di luar proses pilihan raya. Inilah dakyah mereka yang dipengaruhi emosi dan percaya akan rampas kuasa dengan cara lain," katanya.
Abdul Ghani mengajak golongan muda mempertahankan Johor supaya kekal sebagai kubu kuat BN pada pilihan raya umum akan datang kerana kerajaan banyak berjasa dengan membawa kesejahteraan dan pembangunan kepada rakyat.
Kita mahu mengembalikan Johor mengulangi rekod menang 100 peratus di semua 56 kerusi Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) dan 26 kerusi Parlimen yang dipertandingkan. Dengan sokongan anak-anak muda, kita yakin matlamat ini dapat kita kecapi semula pada pilihan raya umum kali ini," katanya.
Seperti 50 tahun yang lalu, anak-anak muda Johor tetap menyokong BN. Sebab itu kita kekal sebagai kubu kuat parti. Keyakinan pembangkang itu sebenarnya berasaskan pada adanya ‘orang lain’ yang menyokong parti mereka," katanya.
Umno yakin orang ramai tidak akan terpengaruh dengan taktik kotor pembangkang yang cuba memutar belit kenyataan sesetengah pihak bagi meraih sokongan ekoran pandangan bekas Ketua Polis Negara, Tan Sri Musa Hassan.
Naib Presidennya, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein berkata, ini kerana ada pihak yang cuba untuk mengalihkan pandangan kita dengan membawa isu sampingan.
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