Where is Dr Molly Cheah?

This article is not about whether Zaid Ibrahim is right or wrong. This is also not about Anwar Ibrahim is right or wrong.

They are both right and wrong in their own perception and our perception. Both have undisclosed agendas that we can keep on speculating, but we would never know for sure.

By Li Fook Gao

PKR secretary-general: “If there has been manipulation, he could not have won even one division.”

Umno-Barisan Nasional: “If there has been manipulation, Pakatan Rakyat would not have won so many by-elections and denied Barisan Nasional’s two-thirds in Parliament.”

This article is not about whether Zaid Ibrahim is right or wrong. This is also not about Anwar Ibrahim is right or wrong.

They are both right and wrong in their own perception and our perception. Both have undisclosed agendas that we can keep on speculating, but we would never know for sure.

The following opinion is what I see as an outsider. Like it or not, or whether the majority (you know the magic word which I have always describe as the crap thing about democracy) thinks that way I do not know.

After all, politics is about perception. Anwar thinks the majority of the PKR members are still with him, so does Zaid, who thought that the majority had the same thought as him on the party leadership. Well, since only 11,000 people came out to vote as opposed to 100,000 (25 per cent of 400,000 members as claimed), we can safely assume that no one know for sure the majority is on which side, as both can use the famous phrase of the “silent majority” is on their side.

OK, sorry I digress … now let’s get back to the main point of my article.

Let’s assume that the JPP (PKR election committee) as the Election Commission, and the PKR secretariat as the federal government (my assumption may be wrong); since you are reading, just assume that it is correct for the next 10 minutes.

So when it comes to the allegations of fraud on the election process, let’s say if one day the Umno information chief or Umno secretary-general who comes forward to address the media on the electoral process and election fraud on behalf of the Election Commission chairman, will you accept the explanation as it is?

In PKR’s case, the ironic thing is the JPP is not the one announcing the results, addressing complaints and facing the media, but all these were being done by the PKR secretariat.

Let’s assume they are sincere in their job, but is this the right procedure?

So the million-dollar question, where is Dr Molly Cheah? Why is she not the one who addresses on the party elections? She is supposed to be independent, like what we expect of the EC chairman.

The statement from the PKR secretary-general given yesterday to rebut Zaid’s claims of fraud in the party election, don’t you think that it sounds very much like how Umno-Barisan Nasional had defended EC on the numerous claims of fraud filed by Pakatan Rakyat on the country’s election process thus far.

Whether Dr Cheah will give the same answers as the PKR secretary-general is immaterial, but it will certainly answer a lot of questions on the independence of the JPP to conduct the party elections.

If we can accept the fact that the PKR secretariat can answer on behalf of the JPP, then we really do not have grounds to complain about the EC when Umno-BN is doing the same thing.

See the point? Don’t you guys feel the same?

Low turnout blows a big hole in PKR direct election

A total of 11,600 voters out of 87 cabang give an average of 134 voters per cabang.

Anyone who sees this number will certainly stay in the race as this is one of the easiest polls to win by anyone provided you have enough financial and influential backing.

Let’s assume that the three deputy presidential candidates split their votes in every cabang at a ratio of 60:25:15 from the 134-vote average — this means that the first place will get around 80 votes, second place 34 votes and the last will get 20 votes — which means this will give an average majority of 46 votes in each cabang to the winner from the second place contestant.

Since the voter turnout is low, a candidate with substantial financial and influential support can easily turn the tide around with just a high turnout on certain cabang.

For example, cabang XYZ, this candidate manages to “mobilise” (I use the word the PKR secretary-general used) his so-called supporters to turn out and vote, and boost the voter turnout of the cabang to 3,000 and in the end, he wins with a majority of 2,000 votes.

With a 2,000-vote majority from XYZ cabang alone, the other contestants would require 46 cabang with “normal voter turnout” with an average majority win of 46 votes to offset the result of the XYZ cabang.

Is this scenario fair? Just leave Zaid or Mustaffa’s complaints aside in this discussion here.

Just ask yourself, is this fair?

Is this election not prone to manipulation and vote-rigging?

Answer honestly.

Now, think of those who say that this direct election is fair?

I do not know how to judge them, you judge yourself.

In the general election, we know the ruling government practises gerrymandering where you can obtain the highest number of votes, but you still lose in the end as you don’t win enough parliamentary seats to enable you to win.

In PKR’s direct election with a low turnout, the situation is totally opposite, where you can win as many cabang as you want, someone will only need to win a few with a high voter turnout to offset the number of cabang you win. Done deal!

Doesn’t this look like some kind of manipulation ala gerrymandering? No???

Nevertheless, it was a bold effort by PKR for being the first in Malaysia to introduce direct party election, a fresh system of one member one vote, but unfortunately for the system to be completely successful, it will need at least more than 50 per cent participation from members and not less than 10 per cent.

Stop kidding yourself by giving reasons on the low turnout. What’s the real reason behind the low turnout. Are the members losing interest or the number of members inflated? I don’t know, but PKR needs to be honest with itself on thist.

Zaid and Anwar, both are lame in their own way

Yesterday, when pressed by reporters to produce evidence of fraud that he claimed he had, Zaid gave a very lame answer: “Why should I?”

He even went on to claim that Anwar knew about the fraud, and if he did not, that proved that he was disconnected with the party members.

Show us something, Zaid. Show us the video you claimed you have. Just one piece of evidence will do.

Unfortunately, Anwar did not fare any better than Zaid in countering Zaid’s stinging attack in asking him to step down; when apparently Zaid had shot himself by failing to provide evidence to back his claims.

How could Anwar just conveniently link Zaid, Asri (former Perlis mufti) and Utusan together in a plot to bring him down? Coincidence was there, but come on lah, Datuk Seri, Utusan would publish everything to portray you negatively regardless of the sources.

It was Zaid’s fault to go for interview with Utusan (although I found his message was more important than where the message was put), but Asri’s statement as he explained was quoted from his blog by Utusan.

Datuk Seri, you just could not always go for character assassination when someone turns against you. If that person is someone like Zul Noordin, who suffers from a really bad public perception, yes, your method will work 90 per cent of the time.

With someone as high profile as Zaid, it will likely backfire badly and you got yourself burnt in the end.

The same theory applies when your guys went to kill Haris Ibrahim’s personality — what for?

Can’t you all just behave like your daughter Nurul Izzah who humbly said thank you for raising the matter, and called for an investigation?

Just like in Zaid’s departure, Nurul Izzah had also demonstrated more poised than you and Azmin combined by saying “she was saddened as many people put high hopes on Zaid” — is this not a politically right approach to minimise the damage?

Anwar’s neutrality

Sorry Datuk Seri, I have to say this… either you or your web moderator screwed you up.

In your blog, I noticed that you chose most of the statements that whacked Zaid to be published, be it from your V-P’s personal opinion or vice versa.

Somehow, your neutrality was sabotaged by this simple gesture. It somehow also confirmed people’s speculation that you were siding Azmin, directly and indirectly. This is most unfortunate.

Proposal

Just cancel the current election, and restart. PKR will lose nothing, actually there’s nothing to lose. The worst that can happen is Zaid winning the deputy presidency (which I don’t think he will), nothing else changes.

But this time, do seek help from your partners in PR, PAS and DAP as observers in your party polls and be transparent as possible.

Clean up your party electoral lists, same as how you urge the EC to do so.

Suspend the election, and start again — and who’s going to be unhappy with this decision? The majority or the minority? I bet it is the minority.

Why I wrote?

If I am pro BN, I think I will just sit down and watch PKR’s melt down with a bag of popcorn and a cola in my hands than to waste my time typing this soon-to-be-called “crap” piece for my intended audience.

Oh, what I think is not a concern, my dear PKR, instead you should worry about how many out there like me who has this perception of you.

It’s not for me to decide whether my opinion is the majority opinion or not … is it you who needs to decide.