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It’s a sacred day… Share with me your polling day impressions

Anil Netto
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This is the moment we have been waiting for. I have already cast my ballot, have you? It was peaceful and orderly at the polling booth. I could see dedicated volunteers and officials.

But I think the Election Commission must be allergic to ink – especially the indelible variety. Instead of a ball-point pen, they provide you with a pencil in the polling booth.

Last night, a human rights activist said something that struck me: “Polling day is like a sacred day. I can feel the aura of quietness inside the polling centre, in the classroom. It is something yang murni.”

Yes, it is a sacred day. And we have a heavy responsibility to make the right choice while exorcising any would-be phantoms.

There is an air of expectation.

I met one of my neighbours, an elderly Chinese Malaysian, this morning as he and his family were returning home after they had voted.

“How did it go?” I asked him.

He hesitated a moment, and then said solemnly, “There’s a strong wind blowing.”

Yes, the winds of change are blowing. Will they be enough to blow away the phantoms, though? That’s not even considering the postal ballots, over which hang many question marks.

Do the right thing and vote for Malaysia. Vote for democracy, vote for justice and reforms. Share with me your polling day impressions below, won’t you?

Campaign in Penang ends on a multiracial high as Anwar warns of phantoms

Anil Netto
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7

The Opposition campaign in Penang ended last night on a multi-racial high as 8,000 people crowded the main road in Sungai Ara near the Pas markas.

For the first time in Penang, I noticed that all the ethnic groups were well represented. Malay men shouted Makkal Sakthi along with their Indian counterparts while everyone shouted reformasi! Many held aloft PKR and DAP flags while above the stage, a Pas flag rose into the air. Like at the Han Chiang school field the previous night, large screens were placed at strategic places while a crane held aloft a video-cameraman high in front of the stage.

Anwar arrived to a rousing welcome. He reminded the crowd that we are all one family – and the Malays, the Chinese, the Indians and others must unite to do away with the corruption and injustice under the BN. That call for a unity of purpose went down well with the crowd. He also promised free education for all, a lowering of oil prices, and affordable health care.

“Do you want Pak Lah’s economic corridors or free education?” he asked the crowd.

“Free education,” they yelled back.

“Do you want these economic corridors or lower oil prices?”

“Lower price!”

He also warned the crowd to be wary of phantom voters “rising from the dead at night” to come out and vote this morning. He urged voters to come out in sufficiently large numbers to overwhelm any phantom votes.

Several police trucks rumbled by slowly on the road nearby creating some consternation, but nothing happened.

Anwar stressed to the crowd the last time the BN lost its two-thirds majority was in 1969, but this time there would be no trouble. Unlike the run-up to the 1969 election when there was palpable ethnic tension in the air, this time, the Malays, Chinese and Indians were united against the BN, he pointed out.

All the candidates in the area, a string of them under a PKR slate and a female teacher from Pas, were introduced and received loud cheers. One Chinese PKR candidate spoke of his moving encounter with the suffering and tears of ordinary folk living on subsistence income and poor health and wondered aloud if this was the kind of Malaysia we all wanted.

Over at Perak Lane, another 4,000 people were still out at a ceramah close to midnight, while another one was held in the Mt Erskine area.

What was most encouraging at Sungai Ara was the truly multi-ethnic composition of the crowd, all motivated to bring about change.

Update from Kelantan:

Meanwhile, Farish Noor told me after midnight that things appear to be “crazy” over in Kelantan. Amazingly, Pas supporters were already celebrating victory in Kota Bharu. But the boys from Husam Musa’s team told him that all their reports are bad and Umno is gaining ground for some reason. Buses with voters (genuine ones?) were entering Kelantan, making it impossible to predict the results now.

Massive 60,000-strong rally in Penang raises Opposition hopes

Anil Netto
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dap rally

Photo credit: DAP Ceramah; More pictures here.

If you thought last Saturday’s ceramah attended by 10,000 people at the Han Chiang High School indoor stadium was huge, think again…

The crowd tonight, this time out in the open in the vast Han Chiang school field, was massive. My engineer friend, a maths whizz, at first tried to estimate the crowd size based on the guesstimated length and breadth of the school field to determine its area multiplied by the average crowd density per square metre! But the crowd kept rising all the time and soon spilled all around the field and outside the perimeter fencing. Finally, he just gave up on his maths and settled for a rough estimate of 60,000. Another researcher who accompanied me also independently came up with a figure of 60,000, saying the turnout could have packed a large football stadium. I concurred with them both. A fourth person, a magazine editor, said the crowd was “easily 50,000”.

Of course, you can’t judge voter sentiment just by the crowd size. But this was no ordinary crowd. Many of them were young. They cheered, they clapped, they whistled, they roared, they sang, they chanted – and they sent a buzz of energy into the air. Indeed, the atmosphere was electric. Seven times, led by a speaker, they chanted, “Jom ubah!”

The DAP had set up a sophisticated audiovisual system with giant screens strategically placed. High-quality inhouse-produced music videos with catchy songs further charged the electricity in the air. A large crane, onto which was affixed a powerful spotlight, lifted a video-cameraman high up into the air so that he could film aerial views of the crowd which were projected “live” onto the giant screens. The crowd ooh-ed and aah-ed when they saw themselves on the screen stretching far out into dark ends of the field.

Jeff Ooi, clearly a crowd favourite, strummed the guitar and belted a few Chinese songs in a somewhat hoarse voice – which made him sound a bit like Louis Armstrong! – much to the delight of the crowd.

If during the largely ethnic Malay-dominated Bersih demonstration last November many wore bright yellow T shirts, and if the Makkal Sakthi Indian Malaysians opted for pale orange, tonight many in the crowd – more than half of them – sported bright red or white tops – the colours of the DAP, apart from red being the auspicious colour of the Chinese.

Karpal, Guan Eng, and Kit Siang received rapturous welcomes as each made a grand entrance into the field, accompanied by Rocket flag bearers wading through the sea of people. A couple of people swung Keadilan flags. Fireworks erupted in the air.

The speeches lacked substance, but the crowd didn’t mind. All the speakers had to do was say, “We must deny the Barisan a two-thirds majority” and a great roar would reverberate across the field. One of them led the crowd in chanting “Up, Up DAP! Down, down, Barisan!” Still, Karpal demanded the release of the Hindraf ISA detainees while other candidates spoke up strongly against the PGCC project.

Zahrain Mohamed Hashim, the PKR candidate for the Bayan Baru parliamentary seat, turned up, representing Wan Azizah, who was unable to attend (apparently because Hishammuddin had turned up in Permatang Pauh to give her a hard time). Zahrain pledged that the PKR candidates would work with their DAP counterparts “like brothers” to send the BN packing, triggering cheers from the crowd.

A steady drizzle during the first half of the proceedings didn’t deter the crowd, many of whom had come prepared with brollies.

Earlier that evening, before attending the rally, I went to buy some pau in a largely Chinese-majority area. I asked the pau man who he was voting for this time.

He hesitated, looking somewhat undecided – one of those floating voters perhaps. Then he asked me a telling question, “Why-ah everyone voting for opposition this time…?”

PKR, DAP candidates vow to oppose PGCC; BN reps fail to show up

Anil Netto
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The PKR and DAP candidates have assured residents at a condominium complex next to the Penang Turf Club that they would firmly oppose the Penang Global City Centre project if they are elected.

All the election candidates in the area – both BN and Opposition – were invited to meet the residents of the 72 Scotland Park condominium complex. But the BN candidates failed to show up as they preferred to be with Abdullah Badawi who was in town taking part in an event at nearby Rifle Range. When that event ended, they told the organisers at Scotland Park over the phone after 11.00pm that they would not be coming after they found out that the opposition candidates had been there for two hours along with the media.

The opposition candidates were PKR’s Jason Ong, a lawyer who is standing in the Kebun Bunga state seat, and the DAP’s Liew Chin Tong, a full-time party worker standing in the Bukit Bendera parliamentary seat. To their credit, they recognised the importance of preserving the environment in Penang and promised to articulate the concerns of residents in the Penang State Assembly and Parliament.

Both candidates came across as sincere, earnest and faily articulate if a little raw – and they were not given an easy ride by the politically aware residents and their friends from outside.

For one thing, the residents wanted them to publicly pledge that they would not defect to the BN if they were voted in under an opposition ticket – a pledge the candidates readily gave.

Secondly, they wanted to know what concrete steps the candidates would take to see to it that the PGCC project was buried for good. The candidates’ response sounded vague and some of the steps they suggested had already been carried out by the PGCC Campaign Group. They cited meagre resources and lack of access to the media, but the PGCC Campaign Group representatives pointed out that they too had lacked resources but still managed to stall the project.

Though the outcome of the session remained inconclusive, I detected a certain degree of receptiveness to the opposition candidates among the majority of the 30-40 people present. In particular, they seemed impressed that they had actually turned up to face the residents whereas the BN candidates lost a valuable opportunity to share with residents what they could do. Their priority, it would seem, was to be with Abdullah Badawi when he was visiting Rifle Range.

One activist with the PGCC Campaign Group pointed out that the PGCC developer’s plan to divert its required 30 per cent quota of low- and medium-cost housing to Rifle Range would lead to even more overcrowding in that already congested area. I wonder if the BN reps were even aware of that.

Indelible ink U-turn casts shadow over election

Anil Netto
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1

The Election Commission’s decision not to use indelible ink just does not sound right.  If they have nothing to hide, then there should be no hesitation in using such ink. It certainly doesn’t look good for the EC and the government, coming so close to polling day.  How are you going to spot multiple voters?

This is a piece I wrote yesterday.

PENANG, Mar 5 (IPS) – Malaysia’s Election Commission (EC) has dramatically scrapped a plan to use indelible ink to prevent multiple voting and stop phantom voters, provoking a storm of protests among opposition parties, which were expecting to make major gains at the polls on Saturday.

The sudden reversal of the plan to use indelible ink has put the spotlight on the Malaysia’s electoral process. It comes as political analysts expect a growing number of urban voters to switch to the opposition this time.

The U-turn was announced Tuesday, just four days before polling day on March 8. The plan to use ink to block phantom voters and multiple voting was mooted in June. In February this year, the EC reportedly ordered 47,000 bottles of indelible black ink from India at a cost of over 2 million ringgit (630,000 US dollars).  Full article

Jeyakumar vs Samy Vellu: Epic battle that’s too close to call

Anil Netto
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If there is one electoral contest that epitomises GE 2008, it has got to be the epic battle of Sungai Siput.

A titanic contest is taking place between Samy Vellu and Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj of PSM, standing under a Keadilan ticket – and so far, it’s neck-and-neck. The scenario is more akin to 1999, when Kumar lost by a 5,259 majority rather than 2004, when Samy rode on the Pak Lah bandwagon to win by a 10,235-margin as the Chinese opposition votes were split between Kumar and the DAP candidate.

If in 1999, Kumar was David against Samy the Goliath – nine years later, Kumar’s stature has risen in Sg Siput and many residents now know the “doctor” as a familiar face.

Tonight Anwar is speaking at Karai in the heart of the Malay areas. When I contacted Kumar over the phone just now, he told me some 2,000 people had turned up, about 80 per cent of them Malay.

The ethnic breakdown in Sg Siput is 31 per cent Malay, 41 per cent Chinese, 23 per cent Indian and 5 per cent others.

Yesterday, I followed Jeyakumar on the campaign trail to experience first-hand voter sentiment on the ground – in the kampongs, low-cost housing estates and markets around Sg Siput.

He received a mixed reception. A few punched their fists in the air in support, others shook hands with him warmly, some were lukewarm or apathetic while a few were plain cold. Kumar even reached out to shake hands with a few MIC party workers, a couple of whom appeared agitated, while other MIC supporters, a little taken aback, shook hands more cordially.

One of the major issues here is the Barang Naik syndrome and oil prices – the inflationary spiral which is hurting the lower-income group of all ethnic groups. Stepping down from the back of his small lorry, travelling in a convoy with half a dozen cars, Kumar explains over the mike to anyone who cares to listen that only a small group at the top have benefited most from economic growth. Many others continue to suffer hardship. “If you are satisfied with the economy and the country, then vote for BN. Otherwise, vote for the opposition,” he urges.

Sungai Siput is plastered with pictures of Samy – though Kumar’s posters are now noticeable. The Pas boys have helped to put up Keadilan flags all over the Malay kampongs though of course the BN presence is everywhere. In town, large bill boards feature Samy and Abdullah Badawi standing side by side – not too close – each with their palms held together below in front of them, almost as if they were part of a “wall” anticipating a David Beckham free kick.

It’s Kumar’s third time against Samy Vellu, who will turn 72 on polling day. The soft-spoken respiratory physician has put together an amazing support team. Their operations centre is a hive of activity: young activists checking computers, preparing the days’ schedule, others looking after the catering of food for party workers, folding pamphlets and slipping posters into plastic covering sheets.

Most of the party workers are largely from the Indian Malaysian grassroots including estate workers; others are retired folk. Also present were Chinese Malaysians lending moral support and younger activists from out of town. Even a couple of Orang Asli have turned up.

Some come from far and wide; they are all determined and motivated. The Hindraf activists and supporters are expected to converge there soon. Even last night, when there was no ceramah near the operations centre, some 200 people turned up just to soak up the excitement and mingle with the rest of Kumar’s supporters. In contrast, the MIC operations rooms I spotted (they have more than one, I gather) looked somewhat quiet.

At the last general election, Kumar polled about 35 per cent of the Indian vote. This time, they hope to receive 60 per cent of the Indian vote. I suspect they are hoping for around 35-40 per cent of the Malay vote while it is the Chinese votes that appear to be the most uncertain.

Unlike elsewhere, where many Indians have rejected Samy Vellu, many of the Indian Malaysians in Sg Siput face an internal dilemma. They may respect Kumar for his commitment and dedication but some feel Samy Vellu has been around a long time and he has given them some infrastructure and dealt with some of their problems. If Samy is dumped, will Sg Siput be punished and lose its considerable development funds, they worry?

Over the years, Samy Vellu has brought in quite a bit of development funds for Sg Siput. Obviously, money is not a problem. Wide highways, which are amazingly (for Samy) toll free(!), stretch all the way from Kuala Kangsar to Jelapang via Sg Siput.

When I arrived at Kumar’s operations centre yesterday morning, I found Kumar’s party workers removing a long row of Keadilan flags which they earlier had put up on the road divider of the high street facing their markas. “The BN or the local government in Sg Siput now wants to put up street lights or a divider barrier in the middle of the road,” one of them lamented. Nice timing, eh?

Not to be deterred, the party workers transferred their flags to the road side, this time attaching the DAP’s Rocket flag on the same bamboo pole as the Keadilan flags. A few PSM flags fluttered high above the trees facing the operations centre. Outside the centre, the BN has its own open space next to the PSM’s area. Here the BN (or is it the Information Ministry?) sometimes organises loud concerts, which drown out the proceedings in Kumar’s area. One of Kumar’s party workers told me the crowds at these concerts are much smaller than in previous elections – only about a hundred and dwindling now, compared to a couple of thousand in previous election campaigns. Another telling indicator…

Seat negotiations between the DAP and PSM/Keadilan were particularly tough, but in the end, some sort of agreement was struck.

Last night, I dropped by to find out how the DAP candidate for the Jalong state seat nearby was faring.

Now, Leong Mee Meng, a beautician, is another one of the DAP’s ‘cili padi‘ – and clearly, she is a crowd-puller. Speaking from the corridor of a row of shop-houses, right in the middle of Jalong, close to the Gerakan and MCA offices, Leong addressed a crowd of about 4,000 stretching down the road. She spoke about ‘new politics’, Chinese schools and the inequalities in Malaysian society.

A skilled orator, she switched with ease between Mandarin and Cantonese, and used sweeping dramatic hand gestures to impressive effect. She had the crowd mesmerised.

Update from Penang:

Malaysia Today’s Raja Petra has apparently been barred from speaking on Penang Island but is allowed to speak on the mainland. This is not going to go down well with islanders, who are already swinging to the opposition in many areas, determined to teach the BN a lesson.

Some 900 people turned up at an opposition ceramah in Lengkok Bangkok tonight while another 400 are now in Brown Garden attending another ceramah there.

Meanwhile, Gerakan is believed to be facing some internal turbulence over the succession brouhaha for the chief minister’s post. Koh Tsu Koon is being seen as indecisive, while Teng Hock Nan is said to be none too thrilled about what has happened.

Heard on the grapevine

Anil Netto
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7

Here’s what some people are saying:

  • Guan Eng is expected to win easily in the Bagan parliamentary seat on mainland Penang.
  • Koh Tsu Koon could find the going tough in the Batu Kawan parliamentary seat against the DAP’s Prof Ramasamy.
  • The BN is concerned about its prospects in Perlis, Kedah, Penang and even Pahang.

Last night, I dropped by at the Holy Spirit Cathedral off Green Lane in Penang to check out a talk on election issues of concern. Some 400 people had turned up to listen to Aliran president P Ramakrishnan, academic Zaharom Nain and  Women’s Centre for Change activist Lim Kah Cheng.

In contrast, a similar election talk at the same church hall during the run-up to the 2004 general election could only draw barely 50 people.

It looks like further evidence of the political awakening and concern among Christians, pointing to their likely swing towards the Opposition.

Anwar, Guan Eng join hands to rock Penang

Anil Netto
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This was one of the big ones.

It was one of those evenings where you just had to be there to experience the growing sentiment among Penangites seeking change and reforms. Indeed, those were the rallying cries tonight – change, reforms, Makkal Sakthi, perubahan!

Some 10,000 Penangites converged at the indoor stadium of the private Han Chiang High School in Penang. Though the stadium is said to have a seating capacity of only about a 1,000, a couple of thousand more sat on the basketball court and crowded the entrances. It was standing room only and people were still trying to enter the stadium long after the ceramah began at 7.45pm. Outside, thousands more followed the proceedings on large screens.

What struck me most was watching the people around me as I walked to the stadium. These were ordinary Penangites on a mission. There was something in their stride – of course, they didn’t want to be late or to be left outside, but it was something more. A sense of purpose and determination, a sense that they could make a difference.

It was a crowd largely made up of Chinese and Indian Malaysians who were relishing the arrival of Anwar Ibrahim and Guan Eng as well as Karpal Singh, Jeff Ooi and Chow Kon Yeow.

Karpal and Guan Eng in particular received rousing receptions.

But it was Anwar who received a rock star’s welcome, as the crowd rose to their feet and cheered his arrival.

As he spoke, photographers jostled around the rostrum, blocking the view of a section of the crowd on the sides. The crowd hooted in dismay until the photographers stepped aside and allowed them to see Anwar.

They hung on to his every word. The mere mention of Samy Vellu’s name provoked jeering from the floor. Khairy’s name too drew similar derision. It was clear who the two most unpopular BN politicians were as far as the people in the stadium were concerned.

Anwar spoke about making use of Petronas’ profits for the benefit of the people and how he had kept oil prices at RM1.10 for the eight years when he was finance minister. Using different intonations, a sudden switch in tempo into fiery mode, expressive gestures and pregnant pauses, the man really knows how to work a crowd.

Despite the DAP’s call to deny the Barisan its two third’s majority, Anwar couldn’t resist taking the call a step further: “This is a defining moment and the people of Penang must take the lead to topple the BN government.” Thunderous applause greeted his statement.

I was more interested in the issues raised: it was clear that corruption and the “BN” (Barang Naik) syndrome touched a chord among the crowd; the Lingam scandal, which Karpal raised, also drew widespread disgust as well as the obligatory response of “Correct, Correct, Correct!” from someone in the crowd, sparking laughter from the rest.

Guan Eng spoke about the PGCC and how Abdullah Badawi had given the green light for this project. He said the government had completely misread the people’s desire. Instead of having dozens of 40-storey towers that would lead to more traffic congestion and pollution, “the people of Penang want more green lungs and public parks”. The crowd applauded in approval, indicating that quality of life issues including the preservation of the environment were uppermost in their minds.

He also mocked the choice of Gerakan’s Teng Chang Yeow as the reported chief minister designate to replace Koh Tsu Koon, who is now standing in the Batu Kawan parliamentary seat. “T-e-n-g C-h-a-n-g Y-e-o-w,” he drawled, as if to suggest “of all people”.

Even after the big guns like Anwar, Guan Eng and Karpal had spoken and left the stadium, thousands remained to listen to newbies such as Jeff Ooi say their piece.

As I left the stadium I was squashed as a sea of people surged out only to have our paths blocked by hundreds still standing outside, with their umbrellas open in the rain, intently following the proceedings on the screen. They were not going anywhere until the last speaker had spoken the last word.

I bumped into a journalist who told me he had heard the BN was going to pump in more resources and money in the week ahead to counter the growing pro-Opposition sentiment.

But the key to unlocking the door to power in Penang is how the Malays will vote, especially in the Umno strongholds. There may be a small swing among the Malays to the Opposition, but will it be enough to achieve the gains the Opposition is looking for? Anwar left early, informing the crowd that he still had work to do: he was visiting three largely Malay areas tonight.

Earlier in the day, while I was having lunch in a hawker centre and had filled my plate with “economy rice”, I walked up to the Chinese Malaysian cashier to pay.

He stuck out his fore-finger.

I looked at him, puzzled.

“Know what this is?” he asked.

“Rocket?” I hazarded a guess.

“Correct!” he roared in delight.

I asked him what the sentiment was like among the stall-owners.

He replied that the BN candidate had been around to put up some air-vents in the hawker centre recently, so some of those running the various food-stalls might be voting for the BN in appreciation. (Umm, isn’t that vote buying?) But this cashier was not from the same constituency and he was thus voting for the Rocket.

The fever is on. And only a week to go.

Pro-Opposition sentiment rising in Penang

Anil Netto
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11

Some 250 people turned up at the Catholic Church in Pulau Tikus in Penang tonight to listen to Dr Francis Loh presenting a talk on election issues that should concern Malaysians.

Though the crowd might seem small, a similar talk at the same church in 1999, at the height of the reformasi period, drew only about 150.

Meanwhile, I spoke to a few working class Muslims in Penang, picked out at random, and asked them their views about the elections. A simple straw poll: a taxi driver (who turned out to be a PKR supporter), a security guard and a petrol pump attendant. They each told me that there was a mood for change, people have opened their eyes, the prices of essential items was too high etc. Umno might still be a formidable force, the taxi driver said, but there is a slight shift in support among the Malays towards the opposition. The petrol pump attendant told me something similar.

A retired police personnel, for his part, informed me he heard some “influential” grapevine people in the Weld Quay area have been telling Chinese Malaysians that even if the Opposition were to put up a monkey as a candidate in their area, vote for the monkey! Such is the sentiment in some circles.

Many Indian Malaysians already appear to have swung to the Opposition, riding on the Makkal Sakthi fervour. Everyday, I receive SMSes from Indian Malaysians urging people to vote for the Opposition. These SMSes come from the most unlikely sources, from people you would not normally think of as being politically concerned or awakened.

Meanwhile, other SMSes have been flying around in Penang informing people that Anwar and Guan Eng are speaking tomorrow (Saturday) night at the Han Chiang indoor stadium in Penang, which apparently can accommodate only 1,000 people. That ceramah should see a huge, overflowing crowd. At this time of the night, I have no way of verifying if the event is actually taking place, so better check before you head out there.

Still, it’s hard to predict the outcome – the illegal bookies seem to know better – so I won’t even try. But I think its safe to say that a string of seats are going to fall into Opposition hands, compared to their present tally of just two out of 40 state assembly seats.

Intense interest in Malaysian polls across the Causeway

Anil Netto
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1

I am just back from Singapore, where I took part in a forum on the Malaysian general election with some old friends.

The forum on Tuesday was organised by the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in the island republic. I was delighted to meet my friend, Farish Noor, one of the organisers, and other friends on the same panel, namely Hermen Shastri of the Council of Churches Malaysia (CCM) and Zaharom Nain of USM. Also on the same panel was Yang Razali, Senior Fellow at the School and Editor of the RSIS commentaries.

Farish, a prolific analyst and commentator, has just taken up a new position as Senior Fellow at RSIS and he seemed happy that his new job would allow him to travel and spend time on his research interests. He spoke on the Hindraf factor, Hermen touched on the Christian minorities’ concerns, Yang Razali on the possible election outcome scenarios, Zaharom on the mainstream media’s coverage heavily tilted in the ruling coalition’s favour. I zoomed in on the electoral battle in Penang, one of the “frontline” states.

On the way to Singapore, I had pored over the Singapore Straits Times and the Today paper and noticed that they had given wide coverage – page after page – to the Malaysian general election. Most of the Singapore media including those under Singapore MediaCorp and Channel News Asia have a string of correspondents covering the campaigning in Malaysia ahead of the polls. The coverage of Nomination Day proceedings was impressive, with the campaigns of both the BN and the opposition given lots of space. The key points of the BN’s and opposition parties’ manifestos were also listed.

I wondered to myself if Singapore’s opposition parties would receive fair media coverage in their own election campaigns. For one thing, I know that pictures of the massive crowds at opposition rallies in the last Singapore general election were largely not shown in the island republic’s press, as revealed in Singaporean activist Dana Lam’s excellent book “Days of Being Wild” (mainly reporting impressions of the opposition side of the Singapore election campaign that received little mainstream coverage).

Even though we had seen the prominent coverage of the Malaysian general election in the Singapore papers, the visiting Malaysian panel speakers including me were somewhat taken aback to see the Singapore media, including television stations, turning out in full force at the RSIS forum. All of us were deluged with journalists asking us for our contact details and requesting newspaper and television interviews, which we were happy to oblige. We each received a pile of call cards from the various journalists, who said they would be in touch with us.

As a Singaporean relative of mine told me, Malaysian politics is far more interesting, intriguing and entertaining than Singaporean politics, which by comparison is frankly, well, kinda dull and predictable…

One of the hot topics in Singapore now is inflation, which has reached the highest level for I-can’t-remember-how-many-years. Looks like Singapore and Malaysia still have a lot in common.

bn price comparisonBefore my arrival in Singapore, I had glanced through a full-page BN ad in theSun (25 February) titled “Proven: Stretching the Ringgit”. It showed a comparison table of the prices of flour, sugar, cooking oil and petrol in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines and Singapore (see table on left). Of course, the Malaysian prices were the lowest. But aren’t these all controlled items? Well, yes, because the ad also stated that RM43.5 billion was spent on subsidies “on essential items so that all Malaysians enjoy lower prices and have more money in their pockets”.

This appears to be an attempt to counter public concerns in Malaysia over the rising prices of essential food items such as staples, meat, fish, vegetable and fruit while preparing the ground for a future oil price hike. Now, I don’t know about you, but I don’t eat much sugar and flour(!) and I try to avoid food which has been cooked with a lot of oil. What about the prices of bread, fruit, fish and vegetables?

Over in Singapore, similar regional comparisons have been made to allay public concerns over price hikes. The Today newspaper (26 February) carried a report mentioning that the Singapore Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) had done a comparison of food prices in Singapore with those in neighbouring countries. The paper noted that the MTI “has lately released more inflation-related data, such as a table on how food prices here (in Singapore) have not risen as much as in Malaysia, America or Hong Kong”.

Eh, food prices in Singapore have not risen as much as in Malaysia? Whom to believe? The BN or the Singapore MTI? But then again, the BN advert only showed the prices of controlled items such as sugar, cooking oil and flour…

What I would like to see in the mainstream media is some attempt to analyse why food prices are rising. Could it be due to:

  • the destruction of vegetable farms to make way for development (so that most vegetables supplied in Penang for instance now have to come all the way from Cameron Highlands)?
  • the shift to corporate agriculture and its emphasis on the cultivation of cash crops for export instead of essential food items to promote food security and self-sufficiency?
  • higher oil prices leading to a rise in fuel, transport, fertiliser and pesticide costs, the increased use of which is the result of the shift away from traditional farming practices?
  • the conversion of land for biofuel cultivation, which has reduced the availability of land for farming?

Instead of looking at these factors to explain the rising price of food, the media here act as if the problem is inevitable, when it could be partly due to the government’s own policies.

It is important for the opposition parties to study the factors leading to rising food prices and to suggest alternative farming, financial and economic policies that they would implement to keep food prices affordable if they come to power. (I know that is a big if – but still…) These policies could include promoting organic farming while curbing the use of harmful – and expensive – pesticides and encouraging the opening up of more vegetable farms and fruit orchards near urban centres (to cut down on transport costs). We can’t survive on microchips alone, you know…

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