DAP national vice-chairperson M Kulasegaran said the Teluk Intan by-election has thrown into stark relief the differences between the "old politics" of Umno-BN and the "new politics" of Pakatan Rakyat.

 

"Never has a by-election since the tsunami of March 2008 thrown up this starkly the differences between the two types of politics," said Kulasegaran, who has hit the campaign trail since nomination day last Monday.

 

The MP for Ipoh Barat said the "old politics" represented by Umno-BN was fixated on race and its concomitant, religion. He said the "new politics" embodied by DAP and PKR sought to free people from the shackles of these twin obsessions.

 

"It's not that race and religion are not important but they should not become straitjackets that lead citizens to emphasise what separates them rather than what unites them in appreciation of values and ideas that unite," opined the federal legislator.

 

Kulasegaran said the DAP in fielding Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud as their candidate in the by-election had opened the pathway to the liberation of Malaysians from "the cult of racial differences, separation and exclusion."

 

"Dyana Sofya has refreshed our politics like the morning breeze," commented the three-term MP.

 

"Instead of the old fixations on race and religion, people are now talking about what a fresh entrant into our political scene like Dyana represents," he elaborated.

 

"She represents the future where the grip of identity politics is loosened. Our politics has been groaning under this stranglehold.

 

“If we don't cut loose from this chokehold we will continue to revolve around the tired, old obsessions that have kept Malaysians trapped in cul de sacs," he said.

 

Free hampers in estate

 

Kulasegaran said he and his team of DAP campaigners witnessed an episode during their tour of the Novo Scotia estate within the Teluk Intan constituency earlier this week.

 

"The entire scenario was a replay of what we have seen in countless campaign before," claimed.

 

He said that at first, their team was not allowed to enter the estate but when it was pointed out that competing campaign workers were already present on the premises, the DAP team were permitted entry.

 

"We noticed a lot of car parked near a hall. As we were approaching the hall, we saw people coming out with hampers worth approximately RM150 each ( photo ).

 

"Upon making enquiries, we were told that the meeting was sponsored by BN supporters and the hampers were given to the locals who are all voters in the locality.

 

"Under the Election Offences Act, any form of buying votes is an offence. But the relevant enforcing department rarely enforces the law against the wrong doers.

 

"I am sure this form of corruption is very prevalent. The Election Commission and law enforcers must take action on the people who are involved in vote buying," urged Kulasegaran.

 

He said the "old politics" of Umno-BN was stale and incorrigible.

 

"It's time it's retired for good. A vote for Dyana is a vote for the cashiering of mindsets and practices are obsolete and should be buried for good," he reiterated.