Kerajaan ‘Madani’ jangan tukar kulit kepada apa yang mereka benci dahulu (Malay/English)

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim

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[ENGLISH VERSION BELOW] Gabungan Pilihan Raya Bersih dan Adil (Bersih) merujuk kepada pengumuman-pengumuman peruntukan baharu yang telah diumumkan oleh Perdana Menteri Anwar Ibrahim dan Menteri Perumahan dan Kerajaan Tempatan Nga Kor Ming di Pulau Pinang baru-baru ini.

Perdana Menteri melalui setiausaha politiknya, Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin, telah menyampaikan sumbangan bernilai RM290,000 kepada sembilan masjid dan 20 surau yang berada di kawasan dewan negeri Sungai Bakap pada 11 Jun.

Setiap masjid dan surau menerima sebanyak RM10,000 untuk digunakan sempena Hari Raya Korban pada 17 Jun.

Pada hari yang sama, Nga Kor Ming juga telah menyampaikan cek bernilai RM17.8 juta untuk projek pembinaan balai bomba, penaiktarafan pasar Bukit Panchor dan sumbangan rumah ibadah bukan Islam.

Pengumuman-pengumuman sebegini sudah menjadi kelaziman baharu kepada kerajaan “Madani” apabila menjelang pilihan raya kecil, walhal isu penggunaan sumber kerajaan semasa tempoh pilihan raya acapkali dibantah oleh mereka semasa menjadi pembangkang dahulu.

Bersih dengan keras menyelar tindakan menggunakan sumber kerajaan semasa pilihan raya, tidak kira sama ada pilihan raya kecil mahupun pilihan raya umum.

Umum maklum, selepas pengumuman kekosongan kerusi oleh Yang di-Pertua Dewan Rakyat atau dewan undangan negeri, satu pilihan raya kecil akan diadakan. Maka di sini sepatutnya para menteri, baik diperingkat kerajaan persekutuan mahupun kerajaan negeri sudah patut mengetahui batasan peranan mereka dalam tempoh ini.

Bersih telah menggariskan larangan “tiga C” semasa pilihan raya, iaitu no conditions (tidak bersyarat), no campaign (tidak berkempen) dan no candidates (tidak bawa calon) yang telah digariskan Bersih sejak pilihan raya negeri 2023 yang lepas kepada kerajaan bukan sementara (non-caretaker government), seperti kerajaan persekutuan dan negeri dalam konteks pilihan raya kecil.

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Namun amalan tidak beretika ini masih berterusan daripada satu pilihan raya ke satu pilihan raya. Amalan ini bercanggah dengan prinsip perlawanan politik atas padang yang sama rata dalam pilihan raya.

Bersih melihat pelanggaran demi pelanggaran terhadap etika pilihan raya bersih dan adil oleh parti kerajaan Madani sendiri dalam beberapa siri pilihan raya sebelum ini, akan terus menghakis keyakinan rakyat, khususnya pengundi, terhadap sistem pilihan raya dan proses demokrasi di negara ini.

Sekali lagi Bersih menegaskan supaya diwujudkan sebuah garis panduan yang menyeluruh terkait etika kerajaan bukan sementara dan kerajaan sementara semasa tempoh pilihan raya yang bermula sebaik sahaja pembubaran Parlimen atau dewan undangan negeri atau kekosongan kerusi. Garis panduan ini harus dikanunkan sebagai undang-undang supaya tidak berlaku salah guna sumber kerajaan dalam sebarang pengumuman peruntukan dan dasar kerajaan yang diamanahkan rakyat.

Kerajaan Madani harus sedar bahawa gula-gula pilihan raya seperti penyampaian peruntukan ini tidak akan menjadikan kerajaan lebih popular, bahkan akan dilihat menggunakan apa sahaja cara, bahkan kaedah yang dulu dikecam sebagai tidak adil. Ini hanya akan menghakis kepercayaan rakyat terhadap pilihan raya bersih dan adil. – Bersih

English version

‘Madani’ government should not become what they once despised

The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih) refers to the recent announcements of new allocations made by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming in Penang.

On 11 June, Anwar, through his political secretary Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin, delivered contributions worth RM290,000 to nine mosques and 20 suraus in the Sungai Bakap state constituency. Each mosque and surau received RM10,000 to be used in conjunction with Hari Raya Korban on 17 June.

READ MORE:  Sungai Bakap by-election: A review

On the same day, Nga also presented a cheque worth RM17.8m for the construction of a fire station, the upgrading of the Bukit Panchor market, and contributions to non-Muslim places of worship.

These types of announcements have become a new norm for the “Madani” (civil and compassionate) government when approaching by-elections, although the use of government resources during election periods was frequently opposed by its leaders when they were in opposition.

Bersih strongly condemns the use of government resources during elections, whether in by-elections or general elections. It is commonly known that after the announcement of a seat vacancy by the speaker of the House of Representatives or the state legislative assembly, a by-election will be held. Therefore, ministers at both the federal and state government levels should be aware of the limits of their function during this time.

Bersih has outlined the “three Cs” prohibitions during elections – no conditions, no campaigning and no candidates – which Bersih has established since the 2023 state elections for non-caretaker governments, such as the federal and state governments in the context of by-elections.

However, this unethical practice continues from one election to another. This practice contradicts the principle of fair political competition on a level playing field in elections.

Bersih has seen continual violations of clean and fair election ethics by the Madani government itself in several previous elections. Such violations will further erode public confidence in the election system and democratic process in the country.

Once again, Bersih emphasises the need for comprehensive guidelines related to the ethics of non-caretaker and caretaker governments during election periods, starting as soon as Parliament or the state legislative assembly is dissolved or when a seat becomes vacant. These guidelines should be enacted into law to prevent the misuse of government resources in any allocation announcements and government policies entrusted by the people.

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The Madani government must realise that election goodies like these allocations will not make the government more popular. Instead, they will be seen as the use by any means, including methods previously condemned as unfair, and thus erode public trust in clean and fair elections. – Bersih

The views expressed in Aliran's media statements and the NGO statements we have endorsed reflect Aliran's official stand. Views and opinions expressed in other pieces published here do not necessarily reflect Aliran's official position.
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