Aliran Media Statement

The Barisan Nasional in Sabah: Unanswered questions

It is obvious to the Malaysian public and the Sabah electorate in particular that in Sabah the opposition parties contest the elections entirely on their own.

In contrast the state Barisan Nasional (BN) seems unable to fight this state election without a huge and unashamed injection of `outside support'.

In this regard, the spectacle of many non-Sabahan Cabinet ministers, menteri-menteri besar, chief ministers, BN component party leaders, and even federal government officials trotting into Sabah to operate the BN's campaign would be amusing if it didn't raise these critical questions which no one in the BN has bothered to answer.

Question 1
Is or isn't the country facing an economic crisis requiring the full attention of Cabinet ministers, party leaders and senior government officials? If so, how can these BN luminaries justify taking so much time off their regular ministerial and official duties for campaigning?

Question 2
Is it at their own expense, or is it at the expense of the taxpayers, that these BN luminaries spend time in Sabah `opening government projects', `meeting the people', and `servicing public needs'?

Question 3
If the government and the public service can continue to function in the absence of so many ministers and government officials during election time, why would the public service need those ministers and officials during normal times?

Aliran calls upon the Election Commission to scrutinise the campaign expenditure of each candidate fairly to ensure that his or her expenditure does not exceed the maximum amount stipulated by law. In this regard, the Election Commission should clarify whether any expenditure incurred by Cabinet ministers, party leaders and government officials who campaign for any candidate will be regarded as part of that candidate's total expenditure.


Aliran Executive Committee
10 March 1999