KUALA LIPIS, Jan 19 — The campaign at the Orang Asli settlements for the Cameron Highlands by-election has moved into high gear but it is no longer business as usual as the community now wants a clean and fair election.
Gone were the days when candidates could easily win over the Orang Asli votes by giving handouts or promising something in return for their votes.
What more, with the Election Commission, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and Malaysian Corruption Watch (MCW) diligently looking out for election offences, the community’s vote now counts.
It is the fervent hope of the Kampung Tual Tok Batin Harun Siden, 43, who oversees about 300 residents of the Orang Asli village that the community would no longer be given any sort of ‘gifts’ in exchange for their votes.
“An election should be between candidates and what they could offer to the community,” said Harun, one of the witnesses called to testify against MIC vice-president Datuk C. Sivarraajh in an election petition to challenge his 14th General Election (GE14) win due to vote-buying.
“We want clean candidates who can work, not one who comes every time there is an election and thereafter disappears,” he said.
Kampung Tual is one of 18 villages in Pos Sinderut, one of nine Orang Asli settlements under Cameron Highlands constituency that represent 20 per cent of overall voters for the Cameron Highlands by-election.
He also disclosed that the majority of Orang Asli chiefs had received some sort of ‘gift’ in the previous general election when the campaign started and a day before the polling.
“I have informed the court in Kuala Lumpur previously,” he said on the election petition hearing that annuled the GE14 result and led to the current by-election.
Asked whether a similar practice is seen this time around, Harun said fortunately he has not heard of any as yet.
In yearning for a clean election, Akhbar Salleh, Village Chief of Kampung Kuala Koyan, another Orang Asli settlement, said any sort of development or assistance to the community promised should flow whenever needed and not just for a ‘special period’ like elections.
‘“This is what would define a good government and gain the people’s vote during an election,” he said.
MCW president Jais Abdul Karim noted that as the parties and candidates are aware that they are being watched, they are careful in conducting their campaigns and have been trying to keep up with the election regulations.
PH’s candidate M. Manogaran said the 12 Orang Asli men who had testified in his case against Sivarraajh at the Election court in June last year were the heroes of the community.
Manogaran who introduced them to PH leaders during a campaign event, said he chose to inctroduce them to the leaders because they had proved that Orang Asli voters were bold and could not be easily influenced by money.
“The Orang Asli do not want to be marginalised...they are now bold in their actions. I introduced them (called them in front) because money is not an issue for them but it is their dignity which is more important,” he said.
PH had also repeatedly stressed that it would reform the government to be clean and fair, and election reform was one of the priorities.
In the four-corner fight of the Cameron Highlands by-election, Manogaran will be contesting against former senior police officer Ramli Mohd Nor, 61, representing Barisan Nasional and two independant candidates namely Sallehudin Ab Talib, 61, a former senior lecturer at Aminudin Baki Institute and Wong Seng Yee, 40, a farmer. — Bernama
