Editor’s Note: Whether it’s unintentional or just the proverbial slip of the tongue does, Kedah Perikatan Nasional chief Datuk Seri Sanusi Md Nor has probably shot his political coalition in the foot via his claim that voters were being paid to return to vote in the Padang Serai election tomorrow (Dec 7).
The Kedah Menteri Besar was reported accusing voters as “stupid” and an embarrassment for asking for money to return home to cast their ballots.
His remarks has led to newly minted Digital Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil urging police and the Election Commission (EC) to investigate the Kedah Menteri Besar’s claim at a ceramah which he described as “dangerous”.
“(It’s in the form of) money ya, RM50 or RM100 and the like, whether it’s being hidden in the form of ‘funds’ to return (to vote),” the Lembah Pantai MP pointed out in a video clip uploaded on his Twitter account.
“I believe his statement is dangerous and needs to be investigated by police and the EC because I fear this is money politics (and it’s) becoming more rampant and being made to be ‘permissible’.
“We know that this is a form of bribery so that voters will pick a certain party which is why I am asking the authorities to take action and immediately (Sanusi’s) statement.”
Letter to editor
THE rumbling by Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Sanusi Md Nor of voters seeking money to return to cast their votes may well have opened the proverbial can of worms inter alia the ever-suspected prevalence of baiting voters with the “cash in return for votes” modus operandi.
Unless there are “givers”, there cannot be “takers” and, therein, begins the rot!
In the context of Sanusi’s emotional outburst, one cannot be faulted to believe that the “takers” were, at the least, disappointed with the “givers” failure to bank-roll their monetary expectations.
In any given equation, Sanusi’s rant ought to justify an investigation by the appropriate authorities to establish who are the “givers”.
To the “takers” I would say this – exercise your democratic and constitutional right to vote whosoever you prefer but do it with conscience.
If you are prepared to cast your precious ballot to the highest bidder, it may well tantamount to “prostituting” your scared right in the circumstances.
And to the “givers”, I would say that you are an accomplice to a grave miscarriage of justice by enticing voters with lure of financial hand-outs.
You, by your disgusting conduct, have lost the moral compass to stake a claim for political relevance in the circumstances
K. Veeriah
Bukit Mertajam
K. Veeriah is the Malaysian Trades Union Congress’ (MTUC) Penang Division secretary.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
