RADIO FREE SARAWAK – 20th January 2012
The growing frustration among poorer voters in Sarawak over the mess and confusion surrounding BN’s heavily promoted pre-election hand out of RM500 was vented by numerous interviewees on Radio Free Sarawak (RFS) today.
If the anger among these local village people is anything to go by, the distribution, which was supposed to attract voters in the run up to GE 13 could seriously backfire against the ruling party.
Most seriously for the state authorities, most of the interviewees who criticised the hand-out were village headmen, whose views carry considerable weight in their communities.
The headmen are also paid by the state, so the disaffection is doubly dangerous. Problems have included confusion over the distribution of the cash, with many poorer people having to make expensive trips from the interior to apply for the money.
Often they have turned out to be unsuccessful, leaving them even poorer after their wasted visit.
It was also frustrating for those who did receive money that it came in the form of a voucher that had to be taken to specific banks, which were not properly equipped to deal with the large queues of people.
In one kampong in the Kanowit area, the Tuai Rumah, Sandah, described to the show how several villagers from his area had waited outside the Dewan Suarah in Kanowit for several days to find if they were eligible. Many had travelled many hours and had then to find costly lodging.
“Many of my people did not receive the money…. “ said the Tuai Rumah.
Another Tuai Rumah, Usop from Pantu Abok, complained to the programme:
“This RM500 is political money to buy votes”.
He described how many of the villagers from his region had found the form filling involved extremely troublesome and difficult. Some of the poorest people did not get the money.
One local candidate for the cash, Unjong, from Naman, said that he felt that the government had wasted the valuable working time of many people, by dragging them from their fields in this way.
He was one of the people who failed to get the cash, because he could not sit out the 4 day wait created by the enormous queues. “I couldn’t afford lodging”, he said.
Revealing BN’s traditional tactics of election bribery the villager added: “During election time they usually come with a helicopter or a 4-wheel drive to give us our money, so why couldn’t they do the same this time?!”
Opposition leaders are also concerned about information they have received that Sarawak ’s BN party are planning to abuse the system by allowing their own YBs to issue the vouchers when they visit their areas during election ceramahs.
YB Chong Chieng Jen has complained to producers that it was unacceptable for BN politicians to be allowed to attempt to curry favour in this way, as if the money was some personal gift by the party, rather than a budget allocation by the state of taxpayers’ money.
Needless to say, opposition YBs have not been approached to take part in such hand-outs!
6 comments:
Yes, it looks like RM500 aid to the people is a political money to buy votes. Even if the government is unable to disburse the aid, Najib has to do it by all means because it was his promise to the rakyat.
We in Betong do not have such "colic-in-newborn" hiccup (NOT PROBLEM).
It is not fair to generalize the whole issue as if it affects the whole state.
The ability of the government to give eligible rakyat such cash gratification of RM500.00 per family should be greatly appreciated without reservation.
To include the rural & interior dayak - Ibans in the programme is something that is beyond consideration of sort. The Dayak Ibans especially should ready their gong set and start practising their betabuh & begawai preparation to welcome the cash hand-out. Nothing wrong if you have the courtesy to invite your YB.
The dayak iban should also thank the wisdom of YAB Tan Sri Datuk Patinggi Alfred Jabu, Tan Sri James Masing and Tan Sri Mawan for their great efforts in ensuring that the dayak ibans are not excluded in any benefits - cash of kinds.
BN is our of way of ensuring dayak iban's progress in sarawak.
Visit us in Betong to witness dayak success.
Adjourned...........
FairviewBetong you must be jabu ball licker hahahahaha
Rm500, nurun ke pasar ngisi borang, dah nya pulai ke menua baru (duit bedau d terima), datai surat pemadah, madah ka bulih duit bantu rm500, dah nya nurun ngambi bauca, bedau gak ulih diambik duit, pulai baru ka menua, dah nya nurun baru ka ngmabi duit bantu nya td nitih ka pesan, nganti sehari bedau gak ulih, ari kedua lemai baru ulih nerima duit bantu 1 malaysia rm500..campur tolak bahagi darab penyampau kos nyau lebih ari duit bantu rm500 nya...this is the real scenario face by the rurals...campur tolak enti nuan nangkal maioh agi duit ulih
I have not been to Betong, but I was told it was like a mini-Putrajaya. That shows that thanks to the BN, it is developing very well.
Yet I read in The Star about 3 months ago that many people had migrated out of Betong because they could not earn a decent living. In the article, a woman interviewed had only 1 bra costing RM10. She could not afford to buy spare ones.
The Star's reporter must have been wrong.
According to Dr John Brian Anthony, data from the Statistics Department showed 55,975 hard-core poor families identified in Sarawak in the middle of 2011. Out of the total hardcore poor families, 47.8% were Iban, 10.5% were Orang Ulu, and 9.8% were Bidayuh.
The rate of poverty increased from 4.2% in 2007 to 5.3% in 2009, and some government officials have agreed that the rate would increase in the years after 2009.
Dr Anthony must have cooked up his figures. After all, he is a member of the DAP. That means he cannot be right. Only those from the BN are always right.
SNAP's former president had said in the 26 August, 2010 edition of the Borneo Post that he did not want Taib to step down as "Taib still has missions to accomplish".
He was also right. For example, Taib's mission to improve the livelihood of the Dayaks has not been accomplished yet. Taib must be given another 30 years.
In tne next election, we must vote the BN candidates, especially Taib, Jabu, Masing and Mawan. They have done so much for the Dayaks. It will be hell for the Dayaks if those people are not kept in power.
Aiyoo,of course the rm500 handout is politically motivated.Since when our BN goment is sincere when it comes to helping the rakyat.Najib has said it loud and clear in Sibu'you help me i help u'ma.As for those who hate Fairview Betong'comment-dont hate him,he is just doing it in back hand manner against Javoo.
was it true that many years ago, a survey on school education result was conducted in Betong, and it was found that primary schools there achieved one of the worst results in Sarawak. Does Betong holds true to the most dumb, the least critical and 'anang ngelaban perintah' lots! Never mind education, as long as there will be those up there to apple polish and giving you fishes for the rest of your life, hehehe... Idup Jabu belama-lama iya
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