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Barisan Nasional has kicked off its election campaign with an orgy of lies and a distortion of the facts. The main thrust of Barisan Nasional’s campaign is to mislead the people and run down the BA, including making personal attacks on its party leaders. Mahathir’s strategy is to raise petty issues. He has been harping on these same points these last 14 months. This is intended to avoid discussing issues of national interest, as Mahathir knows that discussing these issues will put Barisan Nasional at a disadvantage. It is with great concern the BA notes that the leaders of Barisan Nasional and its organ such as the TV stations continue to distort facts in its attempt to confuse the voters. The BA condemns this strategy of spreading lies and views this as part of Barisan Nasional’s dirty tricks. Yesterday, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi claimed that only the Barisan Nasional had ONE Election Manifesto for ALL the parties in the coalition, and that none of the other parties have the same. This is an absolute lie. The BA have, weeks ago, launched its common or joint Election Manifesto. Abdullah Badawi then went on to say that there are additional clauses for the Sabah and Sarawak Manifestos. This means that there is no one or common Manifesto for all the parties in the Barisan Nasional as claimed. How can there be one common Manifesto for all if the Sabah and Sarawak Manifestos include additional clauses? The BA, however, have one Manifesto for ALL parties for the WHOLE country. We also find disconcerting the TV stations continuous reference to the BA as "parti pembangkang" or "opposition party". We wish to remind members of the press that, since Parliament was dissolved, Barisan Nasional ceased to be the ruling party (they are now only the caretaker government) and therefore the BA has ceased to become the opposition. In fact, we find not only is the BA always being referred to as "pembangkang", but also the names of the parties within the BA have been presented in a negative light. For example, TV3 always refers to PAS as "the extremist PAS", keADILan as "the untested keADILan", DAP as "the Chauvinist DAP", PRM as "Parti Socialist Rakyat" and so on. This is totally unnecessary and purely aimed at brainwashing the public by associating the BA with negative descriptions. We are sure UMNO would not like it if the BA also used phrases like "the anti-Islamic UMNO", "the Towkay Party", "the Corrupt MIC", and so on, notwithstanding the fact it may be true, or any other negative labels of such nature. Dato Seri Dr. Mahathir stated that keADILan would not even win ONE seat in the General Election. He then went on to say that once the BA knows it is losing the General Election it will create trouble and start a riot as an attempt to sabotage the General Election. Dr. Mahathir made this statement in such a way as if he is not speculating or suggesting the possibility that it MAY happen, but more as if he is confirming that it WILL happen. This is extremely mischievous and downright criminal. Dr. Mahathir is confirming to the nation that the BA will, without any shadow of doubt, start a riot. Dr. Mahathir is, AGAIN, raising the specter of May 13 and he is confirming that the BA will be the one who will start it this time around. Dr. Mahathir’s statement is aimed at frightening the voters, especially the Chinese voters. It also gives UMNO the way out in the event THEIR supporters would like to start the riots instead. Then they can always turn round and blame it on the BA. The fact that Mahathir "warned" the public that riots are about to break out will clear UMNO of any suspicion. The fact it was UMNO that informed the public makes it look like UMNO is noble and innocent of any crime. We strongly condemn Mahathir’s statement and the BA suspects that this statement is a prelude to trouble which UMNO or the Barisan Nasional may be planing to start. We urge the police to be on the alert and investigate the possibility that UMNO or the Barisan Nasional is about to start something that may be detrimental to the peace and security of this country. Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has accused Dato Seri Anwar of sabotaging the Bakun Dam project. In fact, last week, Dato Seri Anwar had made a six page police report that went into great detail outlining the facts of the case. Dato Seri Anwar was not trying to sabotage the project but block the way the project was being implemented which smacked of corruption, abuse of power, and making decisions without reference to or approval from the Cabinet. UMNO has said that the BA does not have leaders of vision or caliber. We wish to remind the people of Malaysia that there are more professionals and degree holders at ALL levels of leadership in the BA compared to Barisan Nasional. We urge the Barisan Nasional leaders to concentrate on debating polices and issues related to the election and not distract the voters by touching on the background and personal matters of the BA leaders. It has already been established that the BA leaders have higher morals compared to the Barisan Nasional leaders who not only have ACA files open on them but are also suspected of rape and murder, though never charged or brought to trial. Dr. Mahathir has said that the new 680,000 voters who will not be eligible to vote this coming General Election are not BA supporters but Barisan Nasional supporters. This is another lie. Dr. Mahathir is not supposed to know whom they support even AFTER they have voted let alone know whom they are going to vote for though they have not even been registered as voters yet. The Election Commission has confirmed that 95% of these new voters are below 30 years of age and are first time voters. Also, most of these new voters sought registration because of their disgust of what is happening in the country and their hope to do something by changing the ruling government. It is appalling that 680,000 new voters who represent about 7% of the total voters are not being allowed to vote. The BA cannot accept the excuse that it takes more than 9 months to register these voters when it only takes a day to issue an International passport and but a few weeks to issue a new identify card. In some other countries the people are automatically allowed to vote once they reach voting age and, even if they need to register first, it only takes one day to register and it can be done one day before the General Election. To a country like Malaysia that prides itself on being developed and of having a "multi-media super corridor" this delay and the excuse for the delay is viewed as a deliberate attempt by Barisan Nasional to deny 680,000 voters their right to vote. BA urges these voters who have been barred from voting to protest this denial of their right. The fact that Mahathir has identified the 680,000 new voters who are not being allowed to vote as being pro-Barisan Nasional would mean Mahathir knows who they are. Therefore, if Mahathir knows who they are, then they must have already been successfully registered and they are intentionally being barred from voting. And if they are pro-Barisan Nasional, Mahathir would have ensured that they be allowed to vote by hook or by crook. We would like to remind the press and the people of Malaysia that Mahathir’s reference to Harakah as a "mosquito newspaper" is in bad taste when Harakah’s circulation of 280,000 copies far exceeds that of some national newspapers. And that too with all the restrictions the government is placing on Harakah.
Kenyataan Akhbar Dari Parti Rakyat Malaysia PRM membantah keras perbuatan media utama, terutamanya yang berbahasa Melayu dan Inggeris, yang membenarkan diri mereka menjadi alat propaganda BN yang memutar-belit kenyataan serta kegiatan Barisan Alternatif. Nyatalah media ini tidak menghormati sama sekali seruan Pengerusi SPR supaya media bersikap adil terhadap semua parti termasuk parti-parti alternatif. Perdana Menteri Dr Mahatir Mohammad mempertahankan perbuatan serta setiap media ini dengan mendakwa kononnya para pemimpin dan Barisan Alternatif mendapat liputan luas daripada media asing. Ini dakwaan yang palsu. Jikalau kita lihat dengan teliti media asing akhir-akhir ini, mereka begitu banyak sekali memberi publisti kepada Dr Mahathir, jauh lebih banyak daripada publisti yang mereka beri kepada pemimpin-pemimpin Barisan Alternatif. Dr Maharthir pura-pura tidak tahu bahawa siaran atau pancaran media asing itu terbats hanya kepada Bahasa Inggeris. Lagipun hanya sebilangan kecil sahaja daripada rakyat yang memahami Bahasa Inggeris serta mempunyai cara mendapatkan, membaca atau mendengar berita daripada media asing itu. Sebaliknya siaran daripada televisyen tempatan dimonopoli oleh BN.Saluran media ini digunakan sepenuh-penuhnya untuk memburuk-burukkan para pemimpin dari parti-parti politik yang sentiasa bertelagah di antara satu sanmalain. Selain itu televisyen digunakan juga oleh Dr Mahathir untuk menakut-nakutkan rakyat dengan fitnahnya bahawa konon pihak Alternatif hendak mebuat rusuhan dan kekacauan. Dr Mahathir sengaja hendak menimbulkan suasana takut di kalangan rakyat dan nyata sekali sedang merancang untuk mencetuskan kekacauan sekiranya BN terancam oleh kekalahan dalam pilihan raya ke-10 ini.PRM mengutuk rancanagan kotor serta bahaya ini. Kami menyeru supaya media menghormati permintaan Pengerusi SPR dan mendesak agar Dr Mahathir berhenti bercakap tentang rusuhan, pergaduhan dan sebagainya. Rustam Sani Official Media Spokesman For Barisan Alternatif |
