KUALA LUMPUR: When the topic of the Election Commission (EC) was raised on Tuesday at the Dewan Rakyat, it sparked a war of words.
Firebrand MP Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin (BN-Kinabatangan) told off the Opposition for alleging that EC is inept, unfair and cheats.
“I pity the EC as it had been hurled with all sorts of allegations and criticism despite doing a good job in ensuring that elections went well,” he said.
“If the EC really cheated, Kuantan would not be here in the Parliament.
“If we want to cheat, we would go all out and not do it halfway,” he said in a fiery manner.
Bung Mokhtar was replying to Fuziah Salleh (PKR-Kuantan) who questioned the effectiveness and impartiality of the EC.
She alleged that the EC had conspired to help Barisan Nasional candidates to win.
Bung Mokhtar said the Opposition were sore losers who would only cry foul when they lose but would give no thanks to the EC if they win.
He also told Fuziah to get clarification from the previous EC chairman, Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman, as he is on the Opposition side now.
“She should ask him if there were indeed electoral fraud or phantom voters,” he said.
Abdul Rashid, who resigned as EC chairman in 2008, is now Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) vice-president.
His reply drew the ire of DAP’s outspoken Nga Kor Ming (DAP-Taiping) who claimed that Fuziah would be in Bung Mokhtar’s place in Parliament if there were no cheating in the polls.
Nga, who had interjected without first asking for Bung Mokhtar to give way, also retorted that the present EC chairman Datuk Seri Hashim Abdullah was once private secretary to Tan Sri Annuar Musa when the latter was the rural development minister.
In reply, Bung Mokhtar said the fact is well known but in any case it doesn’t matter as Hashim is now neutral.
“He swore an oath and vowed to carry out his duty as EC chairman,” said Bung Mokhtar.
The answer was met with cynicism by Nga, saying: “That sort of reply would make me laugh until my teeth fall off.”
Bung Mokhar said he could not care less if Nga laughs non-stop until the next day, prompting laughter from the rest in Dewan Rakyat.
On another note, the Bung Mokhtar, who has headed Kinabatangan Umno since 1994, said Malaysia is not yet ready to implement automatic registration for voters.
He said the people must also understand if they could not be bothered to as register as voters, they do not deserve to have a say in choosing the government.
“The duty to vote is an individual’s responsibility,” he said.– Reporting by ARFA YUNUS, BEATRICE NITA JAY and FERNANDO FONG
Laungan “Reformasi”, “Bebas Anwar” bergema di Dataran Merdeka malam tadi sempena memperingati 1,000 hari pemenjaraan Ketua Umum PKR, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim di Sungai Buloh.
Perarakan ‘1,000 hari pengorbanan’ itu dimulakan dari Parlimen melibatkan sekitar 200 penyokong, sahabat handai dan pemimpin Pakatan Harapan (HARAPAN) kira-kira jam 8.00 malam sebelum tiba di Dataran Merdeka diketuai Presiden PKR, Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Ismail.
Antara pimpinan HARAPAN yang turut serta ialah Ketua Parlimen DAP, Lim Kit Siang; Ketua Penerangan AMANAH, Khalid Samad; Naib Pengerusi DAP Kebangsaan, Teresa Kok Suh Sim; Setiausaha Organisasi DAP Kebangsaan, Anthony Loke Siew Fook dan ramai lagi.
Dr Wan Azizah dalam ucapannya menegaskan bahawa pengorbanan Anwar meringkuk dalam penjara adalah demi negara ini.
“Dia sanggup melaluinya untuk membebaskan negara kita. Janganlah kita sia-siakan,” kata beliau.
Menurutnya, penyokong HARAPAN perlu komited dan fokus menentang segala penyelewengan dan salah guna kuasa kerajaan Barisan Nasional.
“Pengorbanannya ada. Jangan lupa bahawa ini adalah demi generasi masa depan.
“Kita tidak harus lupa sumbangan, bukan saja Anwar tapi semua yang pernah berkorban,” katanya.
Perhimpunan itu turt menyaksikan acara memasang lilin membentuk perkataan ‘Anwar 1,000 hari pengorbanan’.
Februari lalu, Mahkamah Persekutuan mengekalkan sabitan dan hukuman penjara lima tahun terhadap kes melibatkan pembantunya dan dijangka dibebaskan seawal Jun ini.
Situasi ekonomi dan perdagangan negara ini semakin merosot secara drastik sejak tahun 2013 lalu kata Ahli Parlimen Beruas, Ngeh Koo Ham.
Justeru, segala dakwaan kononnya situasi ekonomi Malaysia dan perdagangan antarabangsa semakin meningkat hanyalah gambaran palsu yang dijaja Barisan Nasional (BN) untuk mengaburi mata rakyat negara ini.
Penolong Bendahari Kebangsaan DAP itu berkata, bukti jelas situasi ekonomi tidak seindah yang dicanangkan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak dapat dilihat jelas melalui kemerosotan nilai tukaran Ringgit berbanding Dolar Amerika.
“Kerajaan BN telah mengelirukan rakyat dengan merujuk jumlah perdagangan dalam ringgit, yang nilainya telah merosot 49.3 peratus berbanding Dolar dalam tempoh tersebut untuk beri persepsi bahawa jumlah perdagangan antarabangsa Malaysia kononnya meningkat,” katanya dalam sidang media di Parlimen.
Beliau merujuk kepada nilai pertukaran Ringgit Malaysia yang mencatatkan penurunan daripada US$1.00 bersamaan RM3.00 pada Januari 2013, kepada RM4.48 pada 30 Disember 2016.
Memberikan contoh, Ngeh berkata sekiranya Malaysia mengeksport 10 kontena barang dagangan pada tahun 2013 dengan harga US$1,000 bagi setiap satu kontena, nilai eksport adalah US$10,000 atau RM30,000.
“Bagaimana pun, jika eksport Malaysia menurun sebanyak 10 peratus pada 2016, Malaysia hanya akan memperoleh sembilan kontena barangan dagangan dengan harga yang sama iaitu US$1,000 satu kontena dan kita akan dapat US$9,000 sahaja tetapi nilai dalam Ringgit Malaysia akan mencatatkan satu peningkatan iaitu sebanyak RM40,320,” jelas beliau.
Perkara ini katanya jelas menunjukkan kerajaan BN berlaku tidak jujur terhadap rakyat negara ini.