FREE TENANG DAY 6 What's happening in the by-election campaign in the state constituency of Tenang? Quotable quotes, planned events and unplanned incidents as they take place in N5.
9am: BN campaign workers and voters are reminded to be wary of PAS' dirty tactics, especially with two days left to the Tenang state seat by-election this Sunday.
National news agency Bernama quoted Umno information chief Ahmad Maslan as saying that PAS could be using all kinds of tactics out of desperation as the campaign draws to a close, even using leaflets telling lies about BN.
Ahmad, who is also deputy minister in the Prime Minister's Department, said this after officiating a Skuad Sayang programme Wanita Umno held in Felda Chemplak Barat to foster closer relations between Umno and the settlers.
He also reminded Felda's younger generation not be to misled by PAS propaganda that claimed BN never looked after the welfare of Felda settlers.
9.45am : Deputy Defence Minister Abdul Latiff Ahmad to lead gotong royong programme at Kampung Pekan Air Panas.
10.00am : A few anonymous leaflets were found pasted on lamp poles in Labis town.
One of the leaflets assails the PAS candidate as not being local, while two others highlighted issues on Hindu temples and alcohol issue in Selangor.
The Hindu temple issue leaflet shows an Indian man setting himself afire in protest at the alleged demolition of a temple by a local government.
11.30am : Indian parties and leaders from Pakatan Rakyat file a complaint at the Tenang Station police station, protesting the use of the novel Interlok as a school textbook (above photo) .
Also present are DAP senator S Ramakrishnan, Klang MP Charles Santiago and representatives from the pro-Pakatan faction of the Malaysian Makkal Sakthi Party.
Santiago, who has read the book, says it will only reinforce stereotypes about the non-Malays.
"Especially when it is to be used as Malay literature text by children in Form 5... Interlok will only serve as propaganda and indoctrination to divide the country," Santiago said.
Instead, he suggests, the Education Ministry uses Anak Semua Bangsa , a book by famous Indonesian laureate Pramoedya Ananta Toer.
11.34am:
The sun is out, but pregnant rain clouds have formed on the horizon. Looks like it's going to be yet another wet day.
12.00pm : after Normala, BN candidate Azahar also appears in a banner dressed in Chinese costume to greet the Chinese New Year.
12.30pm : Pro-PAS settlers group Anak president Mazlan Aliman raises a set of 25 questions related to Felda issues, demanding answers from Ahmad Maslan, a deputy minister in Prime Minister Department in charge of the land development agency.
In his media release distributed at the daily PAS briefing, among the questions the PAS central committee member asked were:
1) Why is the replanting cost so high, that some settlers have to bear costs as much as RM100,000?
2) How serious is the government pledge to provide land to children of Felda settlers as announced last week?
3) Is it true that Mohd Isa Samad was appointed as the new Felda chairperson after being recommended by the prime minister's wife Rosmah Mansor (right) ?
2.30pm : The pro-BN faction of the Malaysian Makkal Sakhti Party (MMSP) is expected to lodge a police report at the Labis police station over "misrepresentation".
In earlier news reports leading to nomination day for the Tenang by-election, MMSP secretary-general R Kannan had pledged his support for PAS candidate Normala Sudirman, and allegiance to Pakatan Rakyat.
The party, launched by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak in October 2009, has since split into two factions - one pro-BN and other pro-Pakatan.
2.30pm : Normala is scheduled to meet voters at Kampung Sawah Padi.
3pm : About 150 Johor Chinese NGOs today sign a 'Tenang by-election demands' petition, urging the government to immediately approve an independent Chinese school in Segamat before the polls on Sunday.
According to them, the cabinet had discussed the issue.
"We have tried to revive the Segamat independent school for 25 years and we hope the politicians will not ask us to wait any longer.
"We want the prime minister to give approval before polling day (Jan 30)," said Lai Hze Sang, the chairperson of NGO coalition.
In 60s, there was an independent school in the district.
3.30pm : A Felda settler lodges a police report claiming a case of impersonation at the Labis police station.
Ahmed Ali, 62, says that visiting friends had told him that they had received letters from the Labis district council secretary informing that they were eligible for a 'gift' of RM300 from the Johor state government.
"Your cooperation is needed to ensure a victory for Barisan Nasional," said the purported letter.
"I was doubtful so I called the secretary who told me that he has never sent out such letters," writes Ahmed in his police report.
7.25pm: While the MCA party workers are busy prepping for the big ceramah tonight, to be attended by top party leaders, things in the DAP tent down the road in Bandar Labis Tengah are more laidback.
The party workers there are using the mics and PA system there to belt out Chinese karaoke tunes on the ceramah stage.
7.45pm: MCA kicks off its first public ceramah in Tenang with vice-president Ng Yen Yen on the rostrum. She proudly shares her achievements as tourism minister in attracting more visitors to Malaysia.
About 100 people are following the ceramah outside of Labis MCA office.
8.20pm : It starts to drizzle again.
8.22pm: Party supporters are again reminded that the flying of party flags from their vehicles is an offence as it is likened to campaigning.
"Like political parties, they too need a permit to campaign," Segamat police chief Supt Abdul Majid Mohd Ali was quoted as saying in Labis today.
He reminded them to stop flying party flags from their vehicles, saying police would seize the poles and return the flags to them.
According to Bernama , police have drawn up a list of people expected to cause trouble during polling on Sunday and would monitor their activities.
"Don't challenge police as we have the numbers and are logistically prepared for the by-election," Abdul Majid added.
9pm: There is only a small crowd at the DAP ceramah at its Labis Tengah operation centre.
9.15pm: PAS candidate Normala Sudirman gives a ceramah at Felda Chemplak. Journalists and party workers outnumber locals.
10pm:
The initially sizeable crowd at the MCA ceramah is slowly trickles out of the venue. Only 30 people, believed to be locals, remain.
They appear unimpressed with the MCA heavyweights present, including vice-president Gan Ping Sieu ( on stage, in white shirt ).
10.20pm: MCA's first-ever ceramah at its Labis division office in this by-election ends with Gan, who is deputy youth and sports minister, as the last speaker.
The main theme of the MCA ceramah is still the PAS "Islamic state" issue and the party airs a video clip warning the Chinese about the "horrible" impact of an Islamic state and hudud law.
Included are the chopping off of the hand for theft and a woman's requirement of four male Muslims as witness to prove her allegation of rape.
Together with this, the party also aired a recording of a ceramah by PAS spiritual leader Nik Aziz Nik Mat, claiming that Muslim women who did not cover their aurat deserved to be raped.
Gan, who is MCA vice president, reminded that Nik Aziz has strongly supported the hudud law in the past.
"We should remember the aim of every PAS leader, whether Abdul Hadi Awang, Nasharuddin Mat Isa or other leaders in Kelantan, is only one - to create a theocratic islamic state," he said.
He also urged the Chinese voters to support the prime minister's 1Malaysia, which represented moderate views.
10.25pm:
PAS spiritual leader Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat
(left)
speaks at the PAS ceramah in Felda Chemplak Barat. The crowd swells to a modest 200 people despite the rain.
10.30pm: Selangor state legislative assembly speaker Teng Chang Khim speaks mainly on the policies of the Pakatan Rakyat state government, including the excellent rating given by the auditor-general for the financial management of Selangor and Penang.
He also repeated the oft-used issue of the recent Penang and Selangor's foreign direct investments being the top two in the entire country, to crowd clapping and whooping.
10.30pm: A festive mood hits Labis Tengah as PAS vice-president Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin belts the Teresa Teng hit Moon represents my heart at a DAP ceramah.
Some people in the crowd hummed along happily, lightening the damp atmosphere brought about by the rain.
10.45pm: In Kampung Redung, both Umno and PAS hold ceramah at venues opposite each other, 40 metres apart, with only a narrow road separating them. Speeches from loudspeakers can be heard from either side.
Idris Ahmad speaking at PAS ceramah, and before him Anwar Ibrahim and Azmin Ali spoke.
Both sides spoke on religion, attacking each other for insulting Islam, but both received a lukewarm response from residents.
The Umno ceramah is held at a veranda of a residential house, with about 15 people sitting inside, listening to former Anwar Ibrahim aide Roslan Kassim, who accused DAP of being anti-Islam.
"A vote for PAS is equal to a vote for DAP. Eventually we don't know what will happen to our children and our nation," Roslan said.
Deputy minister Ahmad Maslan arrives a short while later, and is yet to speak.
The PAS ceramah is slightly better attended, by about 30, with many of them being party campaign workers.
Tension begins to brew, with PAS complaining that the Umno ceramah does not have a permit, since police would not allow two ceramah sessions to be held so close to one another.
PAS supporters begin shouting at the Umno crowd, and its vice-president Mahfuz Omar and information chief Idris Ahmad ask police to stop Umno ceramah but their efforts are futile.
"Partisan politics has compromised the law," Mahfuz told Malaysiakini .
About 30 uniformed policemen are in the vicinity.
11pm : PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim speaks, touching on economic issues, specifically the Global Financial Integrity (GFI) report on RM889 billion illicit financial outflows.
Anwars remarks on the report, said to be the result of several years of work by financial researchers, has the crowd gasping and balking over the figures he quotes.
While the rain forces many in the crowd to crowd on the porch of the kampung house it is held, the audience is nonetheless tickled everytime he speaks of prime minister's wife Rosmah Mansor.
"Wikileaks has described Najib (Razak) as opportunistic. Maksud ikut angin. Tidak tahu angin apalah, mungkin angin Rosmah ." (Follow the wind. I don't know what wind, could be Rosmah's wind [mood])
11.40pm:
Selangor speaker Teng Chang Khim
(right)
who originates from Johor, speaks to some 150 people at the DAP ceramah in front of the Bandar Labis Tengah DAP operations centre fluent Hokkien, drawing laughter and applause.
He also touched on the Islamic state matter raised by MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek, describing it as an "outdated issue".
"He (Chua) has not dared to say anything in the past few days, because he knew this medicine has expired. Just like his Viagra also can get expired," Teng said.
