Inter Press Service: 25 November 1999
MALAYSIA: POLL CAMPAIGN GETS DIRTIER BY THE DAY
Malaysia's ruling coalition, led by Mahathir's United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), has kicked off its campaign with full-page advertisements in major newspapers that raised the spectre of violence and unrest if the Opposition do well in this bitterly fought poll. Protests of dirty tricks have been rife for the election due on November 29.
By ANIL NETTO in Kuala Lumpur
ONLY a week ago, Prime Minister Mahathir
Mohamad predicted that the ongoing election campaign would be "dirtiest"
ever, courtesy of the political opposition.
But, according to public interest groups here, it is the campaign
strategy of his ruling Barisan Nasional ahead of the Nov 29 poll that is
raising concern among Malaysians and public interest groups.
The ruling coalition, led by Mahathir's United Malays National
Organisation (UMNO), kicked off its campaign on Nov 21 with full-page
advertisements in major newspapers that raised the spectre of violence and
unrest should the opposition do well in this bitterly fought poll.
Depicting violence, the advertisements included photographs of small
groups, ostensibly "reformasi" supporters aligned with jailed deputy prime
minister Anwar Ibrahim, engaging in acts of hooliganism.
Many of the ads showed protesters smashing car windows, with slogans
saying "No to Violence" or "Don't Let Anarchy Rule. Vote for Peace and
Stability. Vote Barisan Nasional".
What is unclear - and galling to the opposition - is the lingering doubt
over whether these were pictures of genuine demonstrators or agents
provocateur.
But for Malaysians apathetic about political developments, such implied
threats of violence have stoked deep-seated fears. These fears are
heightened by the fear of the unknown: for the first time, a united
opposition front, Barisan Alternatif, is challenging the ruling coalition's
44-year old grip on power.
Certainly, the spectre of violence will cost the opposition some votes. It
has already raised the political temperature in the run-up to the polls.
''It is getting obvious to all rational-thinking Malaysians that the Barisan
Nasional is prepared to play with fire and to take our beloved country to
the brink of violence and rioting, in order to secure a two-thirds
(parliamentary) majority,'' said a statement endorsed by a dozen public
interest groups, condemning what they called the 'politics of fear'.
On at least three occasions in the past week, Mahathir had warned of the
possibility of riots erupting in the country.
The premier, in power for 18 years, said riots could break out on the eve
of elections when the opposition front, the Barisan Alternatif, realises
that it will not win the elections.
On another occasion, he said: ''If they want the Opposition, they can
vote for it. Then, they should give them the mandate, the two-thirds
majority. But we will not guarantee that it will bring peace.''
''These examples of the politics of fear have been achieved with the
connivance of the Barisan Nasional-owned and controlled mass media,'' said
the groups in a statement, adding that a free and fair election cannot be
conducted in a climate of fear.
''It is clear that Dr Mahathir and the Barisan Nasional are resorting to
blackmail in order to secure a two-thirds majority,'' they added.
The ruling coalition's tactics of appealing to the citizens' fear of
instability has worsened the odds for the Barisan Alternatif, which has to
cope with quite a list of hurdles as it is.
These include the the lopsided coverage by the controlled mainstream
media, gerrymandering of electoral boundaries and a refusal to allow some
680,000 new voter Malaysians from voting because the Election Commission
has not yet processed their registration.
The commission says this process takes some eight months to complete,
though, by contrast, New Zealand allows new voters to register right until
the eve of polling.
In addition, election monitoring groups say thousands of discrepancies
and phantom voters have been found in the electoral rolls, the list of all
registered voters. The shroud of secrecy over postal balloting for security
personnel and their spouses has also cast doubt on the integrity of the system.
Many expect the campaign to get even dirtier in the days before the poll.
which is increasingly being seen as a test of Mahathir's popularity.
Also being tested is support for the Barisan Nasional, which is widely
still expected to win but whose two-thirds majority in Parliament the
opposition is trying to whittle down.
MalaysiaKini, a new Internet news website, has reported that copies of a
videotape highlighting Anwar's alleged homosexual activities -- he is
undergoing trial for the criminal offense of sodomy -- have been found
scattered in parts of the capital Kuala Lumpur.
Raja Petra, media spokesperson for Anwar's new National Justice Party
(keADILan), was quoted as saying that several copies of the tape entitled
'Siapa Anwar' (Who is Anwar) were found by keADILan members at bus stops and
telephone booths at Bandar Tun Razak in Kuala Lumpur.
''We had anticipated that BN would distribute the tape widely during the
election campaign, and we believe that they will resort to more dirty tricks
in the next few days leading up to the polls,'' said Raja Petra.
Indeed, Mahathir critics say they expect the accusations against the
opposition to peak possibly on Nov 28.
Talk is rife in opposition circles about various scenarios, including
staged riots by persons wearing keADILan T-shirts and a screening of Anwar's
alleged affairs over the mass media.
Meantime, mainstream television, radio and newspapers regularly mock
opposition leaders, extols the achievements of the ruling coalition while
denying opposition parties meaningful access.
In Wednesday's edition of the English-language daily 'The Sun', for
instance, more than half a dozen full-page advertisements campaigned for the
ruling coalition. The first 10 pages were devoted to mostly favourable news
of the
ruling coalition's campaign.
''It's not a surprise,'' says media analyst Mustafa Anuar, of the lopsided
media coverage. ''But we didn't expect the media to be so dirty as reflected
in recent campaign advertisements. It is a very sad period for Malaysian
journalism.''
Flags and buntings of the ruling coalition, flushed with almost limitless
resources, have swamped those of opposition parties in towns and villages.
To counter the might of the ruling coalition machinery, resource-strapped
opposition parties are relying on the Internet, opposition newspaper
'Harakah', and indoor forums, though they have been denied access to many
suitable venues such as community halls and stadiums.
The ruling coalition and its supporters also busy trying to discourage
Malaysians for voting for opposition candidates in more subtle ways.
One local university recently received a circular warning employees at
the university, a hotbed for student activism, not to get involved in
''political activities''.
Says a lecturer there: ''Among the political activities that we're
supposed to shy away from are making public statements verbally or in
written form, with the intention of swaying an argument in favour of a
particular political party and publishing books, articles or leaflets that
carry opinions pertaining to a particular party or distributing books,
articles or leaflets of this nature.''