vox populi small thumbnail 'Your policies need changing, not the machinery. The media, Election Commission, media and the might of the federal administration are on your side. What else needs to be tweaked?'

 

PM: BN lacked 'creativity' in Sibu

SJ Yap: It's not just about the campaigning style, it's BN and its ways that people detest. It's about having integrity, truth and justice for the people. It's putting the rakyat first, before their selfish ways. It's about serving the rakyat. It's about all those virtues that BN leaders lack.

Mikey: Still refusing to see the truth, still looking for lame excuses. You lost because you lacked credibility, integrity, honesty, sincerity, empathy, and so on. But then you never really understood what those words meant, do you?

One piece: Your policies need changing, not the machinery. The media, Election Commission, media and the might of the federal administration are on your side. What else needs to be tweaked?

DAP, on the other hand, brought up real issues of the people, and was not afraid of their sensitivity.

Tan Kian Khim: Umno-BN has absolutely no capability to present or debate actual issues or policies: all Umno-BN election campaigns consist of four and only four tactics: outright bribery, race/religious fear-mongering, slander - and when all else fails - gerrymandering.

Fortunately in Sibu, enough people saw through this rubbish and said 'no' to BN, to give DAP a majority that was just large enough to negate all the negative campaigning from BN.

RM5mil for BN win: Najib rethinks 'deal'

Daniel Tan: You can keep your dirty money and give it to Perkasa and similar like-minded goons. The Foochow people of Sibu don't need this handout, given out as a bribe and treat the Chinese voters like beggars. This anyway is taxpayer money.

Habib RAK: The prime minister has just set a new record for arrogance, stupidity and outright executive blackmail. He knows very well that the people of Sibu are suffering from flood problems.

Instead of doing the right thing by saying he will expedite a flood mitigation programme, he chose to make a deal. Now he is executing his blackmail. Totally shocking. Has he forgotten that he is the prime minister of Malaysia and Sibu is part of Malaysia?

Tan Kian Khim: How (expectedly) churlish of Najib. I'm sure he is familiar with the Malay term 'buruk siku' - or he soon will be. The allocation for flood mitigation measures in Rejang Park is the government's obligation. It is not to be used as a bargaining chip for electoral votes. It is the right of the people to expect that the government should provide proper infrastructural services for them; this is why we pay taxes in the first place.

That's right, Najib, we pay taxes in return for public services, not to line Umno-BN cronies' pockets. If the government of the day tries to hold the people to ransom for performing its basic duties, then the people have every right to throw out this government and elect a new one.

And it is long past time to throw this one out.

Bernard Phillips: There was an offer made by the PM and the BN did get some support from the people. The people of Sibu should consider a class action against the BN government if the RM5 million is not paid for failing to keep his promise.

And if the PM insists on not paying up, then the MACC must ask the relevant questions. Blatant practise of offering incentives at elections must be at a price.

Jaguh: In today's world, knowing the facts matters. Did you know that on a per capita income basis that the people in Sibu pay more taxes to the government than most inhabitants in other cities in Malaysia? This RM5 million bribe is mere pittance for them. Most of it is their tax money, anyway.

Joker Win: Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, what are you waiting for? If you were truly independent, what other proof do you need? BN can't hide behind excuses.

Come on MACC, prove us wrong. At least launch an investigation and ask our PM to go to your office for an interview session. To me, that would be improvement enough for now, even though you'll end up with your standard conclusion, ‘NFA' (no further action).

Malaysian First: Najib, you can keep the money until the next ‘buy-election'. Remember, you are using taxpayers' money and it's your responsibility as PM to use the money to help alleviate the people's sufferings, no matter what their political affiliations.

Artchan: Keep the money. The people will bury Umno in the next elections. If you are a true minister for all Malaysian and 1Malaysia is your call, then you have no alternative but to give the money to Sibu folks. It is their money, not your father's money.

Lim Chong Leong: This is executive blackmail. Worse than bribery. Vote for me or you will not have toilets or clean water or schooling. That's what our ‘People First' PM is saying.

May 13: Mahathir's dilemma, our cross to bear

Baiyuensheng: We were never always the cowards. During the British and Japanese occupation, the Chinese went underground and started guerrilla warfare against them and their stooges - ala Chin Peng days. They fought hard and inflicted significant damages on them so that this land can be freed. I would like to believe that we are not always cowards.

Ida Bakar: This is of course one side of the May 13 story. The other is the fact that the majority of Malays were in dire economic straits 12 years after independence. In the towns, Malays were very much second-class citizens.

Imagined being denied entry to Chinese-own establishments. Imagine being told by one's own Chinese teachers that as a Malay, my father should not aspire to anything other than as a labourer or a paddy farmer.

The Chinese chauvinism was also evident prior to and during the May 13 riots. There were banners with "Malays balik kampung" as if the Malays have no right to any economic prosperity.

The Malay leaders at the time of independence was slow to respond to these anxieties. What Mahathir did to was restore some pride in a colonised people.

 

The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers. Only Malaysiakini subscribers can post comments. Over the past six months, Malaysiakinians have posted 50,000 comments. Be part of the Malaysiakini community and help set the news agenda. Subscribe now .