66-hour standoff as group suspects electoral fraud
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Suspecting
electoral fraud and refusing to accept the election results, a group of
counting agents for an independent candidate in Pahang has been
guarding the ballot boxes at the tally center for more than 66 hours
since the night of polling day last Sunday.
The counting agents for Koh Boon Heng, who stood as an Independent in the Damak state seat, refused to let the Election Commission (EC) to move out the ballot boxes from the tally center as they suspect foul play during the vote-counting process.
One of the counting agents, Koh Xiao Fang, told Malaysiakini that while EC officers have left the tally center, the agents still stayed there with the ballot boxes under the watch of some ten police personnel.
She
said they were shocked to learn the results announced by the EC as the
unofficial result they collected earlier shows that Boon Heng had been
leading in the race.
Boon Heng (right) garnered 7,841 votes and lost to BN candidate Lau Lee by a majority of 64 votes in the election last Sunday.
Disbelieving the result, Boon Heng's supporters argued with the EC officers and have demanded for a recount of votes.
However, one of the EC officers allegedly told them that there is no such thing as a recount after the ballot boxes are sealed and moved to the tally center from the respective polling channels.
Under the current election rules, if the difference of votes in a single polling channel is less than four percent, then it warrants a recount in that channel.
However, no recount would be available once the ballot box is sealed and the Borang 14 has been signed by the agents.
Damak is a state seat under the Jerantut parliamentary seat, and it is noted that the Jerantut district council building was used as the tally center during the election.
Xiao
Fang, who is Boon Heng's daughter, added that at least four agents are
still guarding the tally center, although taking turns with other
colleagues when they need to rest and dine.
“A group of local people have been standing guard outside the tally center too. We will wait there until Boon Heng gets an election petition from the court,” she vowed.
An interesting figure
Boon Heng was previously Pahang DAP vice-chairperson and Jerantut parliamentary liaison committee chief. He had been sacked by the party when he chose to contest the Damak state seat as an Independent after DAP gave way to PKR to contest the seat instead.
He garnered 7,841 votes, losing to BN candidate Lau Lee by a majority of 64 votes in a four-corner fight. The other two candidates are Independent candidate Mohd Nor Jaafar and PKR candidate Jamaluddin Abd Rahim, who collected 174 and 2,435 votes respectively.
During the campaign period, Boon Heng received support from state DAP secretary Choong Siew Onn and several PAS members as well, including Jerantut PAS candidate Hamzah Jaafar.
PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang (left) had also launched Boon Heng's election vehicle, an act that was deemed as supporting Boon Heng in the election.
However, PAS information chief Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man has clarified through a statement issued on party organ Harakahdaily that Hadi was only there to receive the application form from Boon Heng to join the party supporters’ congress.
“The president did not support any Independent candidate. He (Boon Heng) wanted to submit the application form to join our supporters’ congress.
“He went up to the stage after submitting the form. And under the request by the public, they raised up their hands together. This is how the press photo came about,” stressed the Pahang PAS commissioner.
The counting agents for Koh Boon Heng, who stood as an Independent in the Damak state seat, refused to let the Election Commission (EC) to move out the ballot boxes from the tally center as they suspect foul play during the vote-counting process.
One of the counting agents, Koh Xiao Fang, told Malaysiakini that while EC officers have left the tally center, the agents still stayed there with the ballot boxes under the watch of some ten police personnel.
She
said they were shocked to learn the results announced by the EC as the
unofficial result they collected earlier shows that Boon Heng had been
leading in the race.Boon Heng (right) garnered 7,841 votes and lost to BN candidate Lau Lee by a majority of 64 votes in the election last Sunday.
Disbelieving the result, Boon Heng's supporters argued with the EC officers and have demanded for a recount of votes.
However, one of the EC officers allegedly told them that there is no such thing as a recount after the ballot boxes are sealed and moved to the tally center from the respective polling channels.
Under the current election rules, if the difference of votes in a single polling channel is less than four percent, then it warrants a recount in that channel.
However, no recount would be available once the ballot box is sealed and the Borang 14 has been signed by the agents.
Damak is a state seat under the Jerantut parliamentary seat, and it is noted that the Jerantut district council building was used as the tally center during the election.
Xiao
Fang, who is Boon Heng's daughter, added that at least four agents are
still guarding the tally center, although taking turns with other
colleagues when they need to rest and dine.“A group of local people have been standing guard outside the tally center too. We will wait there until Boon Heng gets an election petition from the court,” she vowed.
An interesting figure
Boon Heng was previously Pahang DAP vice-chairperson and Jerantut parliamentary liaison committee chief. He had been sacked by the party when he chose to contest the Damak state seat as an Independent after DAP gave way to PKR to contest the seat instead.
He garnered 7,841 votes, losing to BN candidate Lau Lee by a majority of 64 votes in a four-corner fight. The other two candidates are Independent candidate Mohd Nor Jaafar and PKR candidate Jamaluddin Abd Rahim, who collected 174 and 2,435 votes respectively.
During the campaign period, Boon Heng received support from state DAP secretary Choong Siew Onn and several PAS members as well, including Jerantut PAS candidate Hamzah Jaafar.
PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang (left) had also launched Boon Heng's election vehicle, an act that was deemed as supporting Boon Heng in the election.However, PAS information chief Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man has clarified through a statement issued on party organ Harakahdaily that Hadi was only there to receive the application form from Boon Heng to join the party supporters’ congress.
“The president did not support any Independent candidate. He (Boon Heng) wanted to submit the application form to join our supporters’ congress.
“He went up to the stage after submitting the form. And under the request by the public, they raised up their hands together. This is how the press photo came about,” stressed the Pahang PAS commissioner.
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