Dr Benny Lee has only been proposed as the candidate for the Dudong state seat but he is already acting as if he is the assemblyman of the constituency.
On Sunday, Lee who is SUPP Dudong branch deputy chairman, announced that the constituency would receive government grants of nearly RM3 million even though the constituency is under the opposition.
He said that the funds comprised RM2.35 million, given under the state government’s rural transformation programme, RM300,000 under the federal government’s touch point programme and another RM150,000 from the state government.
“This is a sign of appreciation and gratitude to the voters who have been strongly supporting Barisan Nasional (BN) especially through SUPP.
“This is good news for the people of Dudong. The government has shown its appreciation and honesty to the people. Hopefully, our support would perpetuate in the next state election, ensuring that BN would wrest back Dudong from the opposition,” Lee was quoted by The Borneo Post as saying.
He said that SUPP members of the Dudong branch visited 163 longhouses during the Gawai Dayak.
“It was through these visits that we received numerous applications and requests for community projects for the longhouses with an overall fund amounting to RM1.83 million,” he said.
He also announced that another 1Malaysia clinic would be built in the constituency.
At the same time, Lee promised the Tuai Rumah (longhouse chiefs) not to worry about the expiry of their services and assured them their continued service as longhouse chiefs.
Lee said that all these were “gifts” for the people of Dudong.
Something is wrong when someone who is only a potential candidate is able to make a lot of promises.
Even a Dayak incumbent assemblyman does not dare make such announcements involving millions of ringgit.
But to the Opposition, Lee’s announcement smacks of vote-buying, corruption and abuse of power.
It shows clearly that SUPP is so desperate that it has to resort to this “outrageous” propaganda in order to win over voters in Dudong which has 53 per cent Chinese, 38 per cent Ibans, and the rest Malays.
SUPP knows that the fight in Dudong is not only tough, but also an uphill task.
Lee, if he is the candidate, is expected to face his former colleague now in the United People’s Party (UPP).
Then there is also the DAP candidate to worry about.
His best hope is the more than 6,000 Iban voters.
This is the reason why SUPP’s propaganda is directed at the 163 longhouse chiefs and their followers.
They consider the Iban more gullible and easily influenced by this type of propaganda, but not the Chinese voters.
SUPP knows that it cannot bluff them as they are more familiar and more exposed to the pledges made by the party.
SUPP is hoping that the early announcement on the allocation of funds may tilt the balance in its favour.
So it thinks!
But don’t underestimate the people’s intelligence as they have started to ask questions about Lee’s authority to make promises on fund allocations for various development projects.
The people are sceptical about it.
But whatever it is, Lee’s announcement is clearly against the rules and regulations of fair and clean elections.
This is the sort of thing that the Opposition and Bersih 2.0 are demanding for in the coming state election.
In a western democracy, promises of development projects are against the rules of fair and clean elections.
The authorities in these democratic countries will certainly act in such situations.
But in Malaysia, everything and anything is “boleh” if it is done by BN.-The Ant Daily (Joseph Tawie)
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