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Sakmongkol ak 47

ariff.sabri@gmail.com

Monday 28 September 2009

Bagan Pinang- why vote for PAS?

Why indeed. Because some PAS people want to scale the perimeter fence? Have they done anything more than UMNO as regards Islam? That's about it really. Talking about Islam in terms of intangibles. Spiritual cleansing, spiritual salvation and all that. Let's talk tangibles. Let's talk about their delivery. UMNO and BN can do that. Not perfect. But they can do that nevertheless.

By Tuesday, we will know who the UMNO candidate for Bagan Pinang is. Whoever UMNO chooses, it must win Bagan Pinang. Our opposition is making all the noise about the injustice associated with postal voting. Despite the personal narratives of people who claimed to have seen and have inside knowledge about the mechanics of postal voting, the fact remains, it shall remain that way. The voting done by military personnel is as transparent as it could be. If you don't accept it as it is now done- too bad. It's not going to be changed just because some PAS people are going to scale the parameter fence.

If there is cheating, it is an exception to the rule. One person may be late coming to the polling station, so it's closed. The papers are placed in the postal bags to be escorted to the counting station. There's no mystery over postal voting. The SPR has been on TV explaining the mechanics of postal voting. But if you have pre-judged the issue, there's nothing to explain anymore. In cases where postal bags or even boxes en route had gone missing, there was nothing to stop the contending parties from raising the matter up. Otherwise, the tales of missing boxes and bags are old wives tales. If you didn't raise hell then, you are estopped by your conduct from raising it ages after the fact. What you are asking us to do is to rectify and make good your shortcomings and diffidence the last time. You done anything to us?

Everything in the army is serialised ie personnel equipment duty roaster and what not. This is for easy accounting, control and check and balance. Take for example in the list of army voters, serial Ten is Ahmad. When Ahmad approaches the controlling officer, his name is checked, ticked and given the voting slip. He goes to the booth and put a cross on the slip without anyone knowing where he put the cross and finally into the postal bag. There is no serial number Ten on the voting slip to indicate that it belongs to Ahmad. It may have changed I do not know?? The controlling officer will check against his list who has not voted yet and will send out some soldiers to look for them/him. Thats is all that happens in the army voting.

There is indeed no serial number on the voting slip. It's the same as in civilian voting. We bring our ID and it's checked against the voting register which is numbered. The officer will take the ruler and draw a line across our names to indicate we are present and accounted for. We take the voting slip which isn't numbered and do our duty. No one knows who we vote.

So what is the real purpose of disputing postal votes? I have read the comments appearing on my articles regarding the postal voting. How do you explain when soldiers voted against the government? When our navy boys voted against the BN candidate of DUN Beserah recently, no one was punished precisely because it's impossible to say who voted for whom. In any case, the government respects each individual's voting preference. No one was punished when the flyboys voted against BN candidate of Paya Besar in 1999. In 2004 and also 2008, there were still protest votes and yet no one was hauled to be court martial or whatever.

The truth is the celebrated consciousness you speak of when sections of the military voted against BN fail to reach the tipping point beyond which the qualitative change you desire can take place. The numbers game equalises you- more soldiers feel they can identify with the BN. You only wish the same will occur on a widespread basis. It hasn't. Have you looked at the composition of our soldiers? How many are officers and how many are generals? The generals that came out lambasting the government are probably those who had some of their business proposals turned down. You know how officers from major upwards live? They have drivers, cars, batman who is his dogsbody. It's a pampered life. Who knows when they were in service, they acted like tyrants?

There were also totally unrelated comments saying that the soldiers were fighting with substandard equipments. I don't doubt that- but the generals have meetings every time with their superiors, why didn't they do anything about that? The real possibility is that some of your brother officers were the ones making deals to procure certain equipments from certain suppliers and because of the esprit de corps among fellow officers; you were willing to go along. That will make the soldiers even more rebellious and disregard whatever the generals say.

Some may even complain that soldiers earned low incomes. These complain are unsupported by facts. Things have improved vastly in the lives of our soldiers. They have good living quarters, facilities, schools, and all that. They have recreational facilities. These should be added to the income they received. Let's be rational. You can't expect a recruit to earn the same pay as a bank executive do you? By and large, the soldiers and their families who supported them to become soldiers feel grateful just to be taken out of listlessness and poverty. To most of them, it's a new beginning.

So soldiers, ignore the brickbats, vote according to your conscience.

The real purpose of disputing postal votes is to provide a deception and rationalise your own shortcomings. As I have said before, PAS Negeri Sembilan knows, it rode on the general wave of discontent during the 12th GE. It knows it has nothing intrinsic to offer.


 

20 comments:

Anonymous,  28 September 2009 at 03:25  

Don't ever thinks that the GI blues are not sensitive to the changes in political climate around them.

Hypothetically, when the Malay votes split exactly at 50-50, even the illiterate and the oxymoron (non-Malay candidate) can win the seat.

If the non-Malay voters can collectively take the advantage of the current political scenario, what make we think the GI may not use their brain before casting their vote?

Ex-GI

Anonymous,  28 September 2009 at 06:28  

errr...Dato, don't know about you but where I vote, the same serial number on the counterfoil appears on the voting slip. After every election, BN can analyze how votes were cast down to the street so they don't waste time campaigning in solidly pro BN areas. They know how you have voted if they want to. Whether there is postal cheating is just one area of complaint - the entire voting process is heavily manipulated in favor of party in power - gerrymandering, biased tv and press coverage etc so lets not pretend its ever a fair fight. The rakyat assumes there is cheating but yet BN can loose. Tells you something huh?

Suci Dalam Debu 28 September 2009 at 07:52  

Sir,

Don't know about postal votes but I have questioned the EC people why they write down in pencil the registration number or some kind of reference that can be cross-checked later.

Maybe not all does it. Maybe it is more of the exception rather than the rule.

But if they do it in normal votes, I would think that postal votes are worse. I could be wrong.

Anonymous,  28 September 2009 at 07:59  

Anon 6.28am says,

"BN can analyze how votes were cast down to the street so they don't waste time campaigning in solidly pro BN areas."

PR supposed to be there at the counting process but they probably sleep on the watch. Instead of gathering enough information at the counting center PR is relying to much on forecaster such as RPK. That is un-Islamic bro. So don't blame BN for its capability to analyze situations but you should blame PR for not having one.

APOLITIKAL

Manature 28 September 2009 at 10:25  

"There is indeed no serial number on the voting slip. It's the same as in civilian voting"

That ABSOLUTELY is not true. The voting slip do HAVE A SERIAL NUMBER from my experience March 8. The voting slip I was given have a serial number. I can remember vividly because my voting slip which had eraser marks (but judged acceptable by presiding officer) I was able to identify during the counting process (I was candidate representative during counting). If you want more details, ask, and it shall be given.

Manature 28 September 2009 at 10:31  

"no one was punished precisely because it's impossible to say who voted for whom."

Punishment can be in subtle form such as not getting promoted or transfered to an inconvenient place etc.

Anonymous,  28 September 2009 at 12:15  

But how do U explain,when SPR declares Sunday as polling day in Bagan Pinang,while its on Tuesday for Manik Urai and Permatang Pasir?

Shouldnt SPR be seen to be fair? Or simply they are playing the game of "saya yang menurut perintah" !!!

Unknown 28 September 2009 at 12:38  

Yes, PR rode on the general wave of discontentment during PRU12. Then , even an oxymoron as PR candidate won.

BUT have BN/ UMNO,MCA & MIC done enough to cool down the voters fire of discontent.

The arrogance of UMNO politicians still persist in deeds and actions.NR 1 Malaysia slogan is mere branding.
AND saying that PAS has nothing intrisic to offer sounds "takbur" to me .

sheesh 28 September 2009 at 12:58  

Saky supports lop-sided contests like boxing with Pakatan in one corner, both hands tied at the back and eyes blinkered and UMNO/barisan neraka in the other with 4 hands fist iron-cladded plus third eye and with AK47 support. See how Erection Commission side with Barisan Neraka - opposition stronghold, polling on Tuesday, Barisan Neraka stronghold polling on Sunday

Ref: Bagan Pinang polling on a Sunday

Anonymous,  28 September 2009 at 13:32  

Anon 12.15 pm says,

"SPR declares Sunday as polling day in Bagan Pinang,while its on Tuesday for Manik Urai and Permatang Pasir?"

Is there any statistical evidence to show there really is significant difference in the voters' attendance between the weekday and weekend?

Logically people prefers to stay home during the weekend and as such the number of them going to the polling station should be lower if compared to polling which is being held during the weekdays! Right?

One more thing, 'weekend' in Manik Urai fall on Friday. Polling to take a break for prayer session?

Ordinary Sapi

Anonymous,  28 September 2009 at 14:15  

AK47,

When Pas's rep try to convince their fellow friends in the state government not to introduce Gestapo's mode of interrogation in Selcat, it was backfired!

Pas intention is good in that a suspect should be treated as a normal human being as he is not yet found guilty. Therefore Selcat should abstain from taking that sort of harsh approach.

Being a democratically elected by right PR need to respect Pas's rep suggestion but then they chose to close the door to any suggestion!! And now the friend in PR asked Selcat to act upon him. What is this?

Dulu Pas

sunwayopal,  28 September 2009 at 14:47  

(Quote) Anonymous said...
Anon 6.28am says,

"BN can analyze how votes were cast down to the street so they don't waste time campaigning in solidly pro BN areas."

PR supposed to be there at the counting process but they probably sleep on the watch. Instead of gathering enough information at the counting center PR is relying to much on forecaster such as RPK. That is un-Islamic bro. So don't blame BN for its capability to analyze situations but you should blame PR for not having one.

APOLITIKAL (UNquote)



This comment above is one of the most stupid ever.

Its not about who can analyse or cannot analyse better lah.

Undi adalah rahsia!

You paham the above sentence or not? Some more talk about analysis from the serial numbers.





sunwayopal
http://www.myrealestate.com.my

Manature 28 September 2009 at 16:04  

"no one was punished precisely because it's impossible to say who voted for whom."

Who says it is impossible. I was a counting agent in the same polling stream where I voted and was able to identify my vote during the counting process. Why I am so sure? There was a very faint erasure mark but I had it confirmed as acceptable by the presiding officer before I put the voting slips into the boxes. I had noted down the serial number and went back as a counting agent. It is a long story but the biased presiding officer held up my voting slip and declared "ragu" but I saw that the voting slip had the same serial number as I had noted earlier and reminded the presiding officer that he earlier had said it was acceptable and he was forced to accept it and put it into the tray for my chosen candidate.

See, I could identify my voting slip from the serial number. Who said it cannot be identified.

Anonymous,  28 September 2009 at 21:36  

Even though the voting slip has serial numbers it is the EC serial numbers. This has nothing to do with the army nominal roll or voting list. In otherwords, the army voting list of number 10 belonging to Ahmad has no EC serial number reflected in it.

For those who make accusation, esp the army guys it is worthwhile checking against the voting list in the file to find out whether the EC serial number is reflected in it or not. Otherwise we are just playing the blame game and never ends. What I know is the nominal roll or voting list is only ticked who has voted and those have not.

Yap

Anonymous,  28 September 2009 at 22:30  

Hey you soldiers out there, ta cukup makan kah.

You have free housing, free medical for you and your family, free transport to sent your children to school, 30 days leave, travelling claims, free bus and train ticket for leave.

Overseas duty plenty of UN allowance..

When you retire ada pension until you are dead and pension goes to you surviving wife.

What else do you want...You want the moon??

Yap

Anonymous,  29 September 2009 at 02:54  

"Undi adalah rahsia!

"You paham the above sentence or not? Some more talk about analysis from the serial numbers.


sunwayopal
http://www.myrealestate.com.my

28 September 2009 14:47

-----------------------------------

Yes, so far I have not seen any guy who claims to be so smart but in actual sense he is the most stupid person in the entire Net.

You are talking about UNDI ADALAH RAHSIA! The question is how much secrecy do you expect? 100%? Don't pull my leg, bro.

Now you answer this question:

1. You can make the vote 100% untraceable?

2. Which country manage to achieve that?

Base on your answer, I can easily prove how stupid you are. Take your chance!

APOLITIKAL

Klm 29 September 2009 at 03:18  

I hope our soldiers are not coward enough to vote for PAS les they are coward also when facing they true enemy...huwa hahaha

tokasid 29 September 2009 at 14:01  

Dato AK47,

In Melaka where I voted and my friends voted, there were serial numbers on our voting slips!!

Anonymous,  29 September 2009 at 22:12  

If your (Toksid) claimed was right but if the serial number was not written down on the voters list, how anyone going to know which voting slip belong to you and which one belong to others?

TheWhisperer 1 October 2009 at 02:30  

Dato,

My personal experiences tell me that those ballot paper are serial numbered.

The person who hands out the ballot paper would either write your electoral roll number on the ballot paper in pencil or write the ballot serial number beside your name on the electoral roll.

I went through these different process in two general elections.

You can now discard the myth that our electoral process have been fair and democratic.

Honestly, I least expected this ignorance to come from you.

Goodnight.

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