Sewer Politics in IJOK

There is a phrase "gutter politics" that means politics is a dirty game where opponents will try and sling mud on each other so the voters may pick the candidate who comes out looking cleaner.

Reading the reports on the incidents at the nomination centre it seems the police could have done more to reduce the possibility that a political standoff should not escalate into mob violence.

In this case the area around the centre should have been kept clear of supporters who should have been kept at least 500 meters apart at all times and the candidates should have been allowed to take only 10 persons into the centre.

In Visit Malaysia 2007 it is a good time to proclaim to the world that we are taking gutter politics to a lower level ie "sewer politics". With RM36million to be injected into the area in the next 2 weeks it is a good lesson for the electorate to enjoy the wind-fall and also be free to select the candidate that gives more hope for the future.

If one watched the TV3 news report at midnight I am sure the Education Minister made a vivid impression on the thousands of our school children.

In today's Star, there is a photo of the the following ministers and their entourage actively campaigning for the candidate:

Deputy PM
Transport Minister
Education Minister
Penang CM
Perlis MB

If Malaysia intends to become a "world-class" nation we should ask the following questions:

1.What duties are so many ministers doing in Ijok?
2.Did they take personal leave if they just went for the campaign?
3.Were taxpayers' funds used if they went for personal reasons?

Even if they took annual leave, they should not be accorded all the other perks like police escort and the usual entourage except for the official bodyguard.
It is quite easy to check if Ijok was in their official schedule at the beginning of 2007.

As for the EC Chairman who has publicly admitted his unwillingness to perform his official duties our MPs should demand his resignation.