YOURSAY 'Here we have the suspect admitting his crime, yet the police, MACC and EC are all deaf and dumb.'

Gov't machinery was used, admits BN candidate

Boiling Mud: (BN's Sg Limau candidate) Ahmad Sohaimi Lazim, there are no pros and cons in giving goodies at election campaigns. There are no two ways about it.

You should have asked instead why the villagers took the opportunity to ask for street lights and goodies when you went canvassing for votes in the villages. It does not take a rocket scientist to figure that out.

One cannot win over the hearts and minds of the people if one has no genuine concern to even attempt to improve the people's livelihood. It is not about the people not ready for democracy either.

You would have won the by-election if only you had given some thought to the root cause of the villagers' problems in eking out a living and did something about them. From what is reported here, obviously you didn't.

Vijay47: The more I read statements by Umno members and their candidates, the more I am convinced that there must be an Umno ‘School for Morons' somewhere because I believe that it is impossible for a person to naturally display such levels of utter idiocy. Such gross stupidity has to be nurtured.

However, there is also the possibility that once exposed to Umno's nonchalant systematic corruption, members can only view it with acceptance and justification.

Thus we have worthies like Ahmad Sohaimi defending the pre-election giving of goodies because "voters expect goodies in return for their support".

Brudder, there is another way of describing this practice - pure unmitigated bribery. Of course where Umno is concerned, bribery is not bribery, corruption is never corruption, it is all another day at the office.

Disaster: Asking for street light is a goodie? You mean to say the voter wants to play golf at night?

This clearly shows there are villagers who have been living in the dark and all they want is some light, and they did not ask for money to buy smartphone.

Anonymous #19098644: A corrupt politician of a corrupt political party trying to justify their corruption by saying that this country is not ready for democracy because they have openly admitted to subverting the electoral process and using corrupt practices.

In spite of this PAS won, it goes to show that people are not so easily deceive and that ideals do matter. What a disgusting immoral bunch of unethical politicians.

Those of us who love this country shed tears for the majority who voted against this band of thieves called the BN.

Quigonbond: Ahmad Sohaimi has just admitted to committing criminal offence under the Election Offences Act. Will the attorney-general please charge him with vote buying, amongst other things?

Dood: Here we have the suspect admitting his crime, yet the police, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), and Election Commission (EC) are all deaf and dumb.

If this was an opposition politician, you can bet the authorities will be all over him...

Slumdog: PM Najib Razak has developed this dependency and a "you help me, I help you" culture.

It is now expected and ingrained in the minds of rural Malays that they should expect goodies and handouts in exchange for votes. It is now institutionalised and an in-built feature of Umno politics. This is now the norm and part of the electioneering process.

We now have Ahmad Sohaimi openly admitting to the use of government machinery and hand out of goodies and yet there will be no action taken against Umno or Ahmad Sohaimi.

Unless the law is applied by the EC and candidates and politicians charged, fined or jailed, the opposition have a mighty battle to change the mindset of rural voters.

As Ahmad Sohaimi said, "The time is not yet right for democracy in Malaysia because voter expect goodies in return for their support, making it difficult to campaign on ideals alone." Very true.

James1067: It is not goodies they want if you have done your work properly. The public is tired of all the scandals, wastage, corruption and abuse by certain politicians and government officials.

If the work or administration is done in a clean, open and honest manner, then the goodies need not be used. Its track record will be enough to garner votes.

So without the full government machinery next time around, where do you stand against PAS in future elections?

Mushiro: PAS fought the full might of the state and federal government and also the perceived powers of former PM Dr Mahathir Mohamad and it won.

If this had been a fair by-election where money, government machineries and government-controlled media were not used, then we will have a chance to hear the real voice of the people.

MockingYou: This is a welcome surprise notwithstanding any insinuation that PAS is better at dishing out goodies.

What did it take you so long to realise that the old coots, including yours truly, are going to kick the bucket?

The battlefield is the young voters and legions of 17-20 years old. So more K-Pop concerts?

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