Husam fears PAS will lose Kelantan

“We’re finished, nobody can survive... Nobody can...”

This is what Husam Musa, currently PAS vice president, claimed in his interview with Malaysiakini. Reasons? The same concerns that have been brought up by PKR recently - electoral irregularities, malpractice, as well as the increasingly biased Election Commission. One might say these allegations are nothing new, but Husam thinks otherwise. He actually says electoral irregularities were not evident until the 2004 general election. And that is the year when the BN has won an unprecedented 92% of the seats in Parliament after a torrid election in 1999. These are his words:

“This did not happen during (ex-premier Dr) Mahathir’s (Mohamad) time. No matter how bad it was under Mahathir, this trend only started in the 2004 general election,” said the state exco member.

To read more, click here.

Anyway, Husam is one of the more enlightened and dynamic young leaders in PAS currently. His worries might be an exaggeration, but seeing how poor the sentiment is currently on the ground, and with expectations that a snap general election will be called before the end of this year, one cannot discount his observations. Remember that Dr M himself is a victim - for RM200 a head his division whom he has led for years could sell their votes. What more in an election where voters most likely would not have any sentiments for the candidates running in their area. And do remember to check your voter registration status regularly at www.spr.gov.my. I personally know of two persons whose names have mysteriously been removed from the latest gazetted roll, even though they have voted in 2004. Postal ballots and phantom voters are not the only tricks the EC do. If you have been "erased", the only way is to re-register yourself.

Only by a miracle, or through thorough dissemination of information, would the majority of Malaysian voters be expected to vote using their head. If the swing is huge enough, I am optimistic the BN will not be so foolish as to commit outright electoral fraud which will only bring international and local condemnations upon their head. As rotten as they are, I don't think they are that foolish to consider massive rigging.