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Scrapping of security feature is fresh fodder for the opposition campaign By Leslie Lopez, South-east Asia Correspondent, THE STRAITS TIMES INDELIBLE ink has vanished from Malaysia's Polling Day plans amid indications that the election may be a closer fight than expected.
The last minute move to scrap the use of the ink was announced by the Election Commission and Malaysia's police chief on Tuesday. The new security feature was introduced in response to allegations of multiple voting. Officials said it was abandoned because some unnamed elements may have smuggled indelible ink from 'neighbouring countries' in a move to sabotage Saturday's vote. Police said they uncovered the plot following reports by several unnamed persons in the Malay-belt states of Perlis, Terengganu and Kelantan. Most analysts believe that Tuesday's surprise announcement will do the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) more damage than good. 'Such a plot to undermine the vote is unlikely to come from the opposition because it will only be to their disadvantage,' says Professor Shamsul Amri Baharuddin, who teaches sociology at the National University of Malaysia. There are suggestions now that the ruling coalition is fighting a tougher battle than previously imagined. The Barisan is still widely expected to retain its two-thirds majority in Parliament. But most analysts and politicians from across the divide note that the popular vote in favour of the government, which stood at a record high of 63.8 per cent in the 2004 general election, could be shaved sharply to just above 50 per cent. This re-evaluation stems largely from concern that the country's dominant Malay community, previously believed to be solidly behind the BN and Umno, is now wavering in its support for the government. With the anti-establishment sentiment among Chinese and Indians running high, analysts and politicians say that swings in the Malay vote in favour of the opposition could result in serious electoral setbacks for the BN in the tightly fought Malay-dominated states of Kelantan and Terengganu and in Penang. 'There are clearly fires that we need to put out in the next two days,' concedes a senior aide to a minister from the Malaysian Chinese Association, the BN's most senior component party after Umno. According to senior government officials, intelligence reports reveal that a mixture of anger and frustration over the higher cost of living and rising crime have hurt voter sentiment towards the government. This disenchantment cuts across communities, the officials say. What's more, the BN is hurting itself by its own miscues, which several analysts say could turn away fence-sitters from voting for the coalition. Coming just days before the vote, analysts say that the decision to scrap the use of indelible ink will provide the opposition with fresh fodder in its campaign against the BN. For starters, opposition politicians are beginning to question the veracity of the police reports, which were made in mid-February. They note that indelible ink used in elections is a closely guarded security product that cannot be traded easily. The government will also have to counter allegations by the opposition that the move to scrap the use of indelible ink could lead to potential election fraud. The indelible ink controversy has also emboldened the opposition because the police reports over alleged attempts to sabotage the elections were made in states where Umno is facing serious problems. In the northern-most state of Perlis, Umno is wracked by internal feuding. Internal fighting is also hurting Umno's efforts to wrest control of Kelantan and stop a determined advance by the Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) to regain control of the Terengganu state government. Umno officials concede that their efforts to wrest control of the Kelantan state government away from PAS is impeded by infighting in the party. 'There is a chance (to win Kelantan), but it is very slim,' says a senior aide to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. ********** CONSPIRACY CLAIM 'The announcement validates PAS' claim that there exists a Barisan conspiracy with cooperation from the Election Commission and other government agencies to ensure an undemocratic Barisan victory.' PARTI ISLAM SE-MALAYSIA SPOKESMAN ROSLAN SHAHIR ********** ARGUMENT FOR INDELIBLE INK 'People have been saying, 'Anwar, boycott the elections. They promised indelible ink and they cancelled at the last moment, it's shameful'. India with its one billion people can conduct free and fair elections with indelible ink and nobody was hurt. Indonesia used indelible ink. Turkey had elections with indelible ink. But not in our case.' PARTI KEADILAN RAKYAT ADVISER ANWAR IBRAHIM ********** POSSIBILITY OF CHAOS 'There is a possibility of certain actions by certain quarters that could give rise to chaos and there is a likelihood that those who want to vote could not do so as their fingers were already stained with ink. As such, this sort of victimisation should not be allowed.' BARISAN NASIONAL CHIEF AND PRIME MINISTER ABDULLAH BADAWI ********** CHARGES OF CHEATING 'It shows that the Election Commission is working hand in hand with the Barisan Nasional to cheat in the elections.' DEMOCRATIC ACTION PARTY SECRETARY-GENERAL LIM GUAN ENG
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