This is an envelope.
Ordinarily quite innocuous.
Except when it is filled with
and handed over to you, a journalist covering the Kuala Terengganu by-election, by an officer from the Ministry of Information, asked to acknowledge receipt of the same, but not told what the money is for.
That’s what happened today to several journalists at the media centre set up by the Ministry of Information for journalists covering the by-election.
Two of them received 6 RM50 notes in the envelope handed to them at about 3.50pm this afternoon.
Chan Wei See and Chen Shaua Fui,
From left : Shaua Fui and Wei See
both of Merdekareview.com, didn’t think this was right and decided to lodge police reports.
Zorro, Gus and I accompanied them to the police station to lodge their police reports.
Wei See flashing the dough whilst Shaua Fei writes up her report
Wei See and Shaua Fui with their reports
At the time of writing up this post, I am informed that the investigating officer has requested that they attend at the police station to give their statements. They will be accompanied by another lawyer.
Wei See and Shaua Fui, it’s an honour to know you.
The People's Parliament 
malsia1206
January 16, 2009
Syabas to these 2 reporters. Exemplary character. Menteri Syed Hamid may now be thinking of arresting both under the ISA for their personal protection. Gosh, is this contry sinking further into the pits each passing day? The voters in KT can do what those in Permatang Pauh did. Barisan need to lose and lose big. Time to teach them the basic lesson of their lives. The rot started 20+ years ago. Malaysians have all suffered for too long. It’s no longer the money, baby. Not the dirty money anyway. What’s RM300 compared with a lost generation of decent honest Malaysians? Don’t cry for me, Malaysia.
malsia1206
shar101
January 16, 2009
I don’t get it.
What exactly are these journos supposed to report – that BN won even when they lose tomorrow? Hehehe!
Unless it has something to do with the heavy presence of PDRM personnel in KT, leading to various activities of vote rigging et al
Hope you guyz have the ‘check & balance’ team with vidcams ready to record evidence at all the polling streams. MAFREL resources on the ground will also come in handy, bro.
koolgeek
January 16, 2009
smile a bit mah.. on cam & online now
mamat
January 16, 2009
respect! respect!
farida
January 16, 2009
Two journalists with integrity. Did others receive and keep quiet?
farida,
4 M’kini journos returned the money.
Don’t know about the others
Salak
January 16, 2009
Haha! The Cheek will have his “fits” now! With foam at the mouth! 😀
Samuel Goh Kim Eng
January 16, 2009
NEITHER TRICK NOR FEAR OF STICK
Let there be no dirty trick
Only to have conscience pricked
Let genuine voters honestly pick
Own choice without fear of any stick
(C) Samuel Goh Kim Eng – 160109
http://MotivationInMotion.blogspot.com
Fri. 16th Jan. 2009.
koolgeek
January 16, 2009
next thing, gov files police reports claiming reporters ‘bought over’ by oppositions trying to frame BN.
Threat to national security. Masuk ISA!
lsd
January 16, 2009
Must also need to know who these flers givin the bread were. No use if got no proof. Otherwise, you know, policeman will say its all lies. THat is the problem how things can be twisted. Bravo I say to these journos. If they can bribe journos, then they must have bribed voters already…
oA
January 16, 2009
.
the kt elec. comm. resignation is perhaps a smoke screen
to something more sinister – a full fledge fraud by the comm. itself in the by election.
hope nobody gets distracted giving them credit incessantly as of yet…
.
Batu Ferringhi
January 16, 2009
I’m foaming in my mouth too being mad at Shabery the Cheek!
Ismandy Hamza
January 16, 2009
Haiya… Every election the same ma. If you clever, take BN money and vote the Moon. He he.
Think again, how much your boss gave you for allowance to cover the election?
You’re lucky enough if your boss at the office employed by the BN don’t cheat you and cut your allowance.
After all, BN money, also people’s money ba! why worry…
How much is RM300 compared to what they spend every year organising the Monsoon Cup? – ‘chicken shit’.
Ask the BN candidate himself? Isn’t his company involve in it too?
Hai ya… why worry so much?
Look at the Kelantan people!!! Very clever and smart.
In last election, how much BN spent there? Did they win? No, right! They were whitewashed by the wiser men and women of that state whom BN thought are easily hoodwinked and bought by their dirty money.
Hello!!! wake up all you Kuala Terengganu voters! You all think the recent oil royalty money will benefit you guys? He..he.. think again.
The Malay proverb says “Jauh bara dari api”.
Don’t gamble your future and that of your children by choosing the wrong candidate tomorrow.
You’ve already let us down in the last general election by putting the BN in power, when you brethrens in other states are voting for change.
Don’t repeat the same mistake twice. Time to vote for change.
Do like what your fellow Msians did in Permatang Pauh recently. Throw them out of your lives for good.
Well, the ball is in your hands. So up to you to decide. Don’t regret if BN wins tomorrow and you don’t get your portion of the oil royalty. Nobody is to blame except yourself.
Up to all you Terengganu folks. Good luck n Happy voting.
yh
January 16, 2009
typical BN. thinks everyone can be bought. and what a bloody insult that everybody is as cheap as them and can be bought with ang pow containing just 300 ringgit.
Is that kind of BN under the new regime?
wandererAUS
January 16, 2009
If these UMNO goons did it so openly, I am very suspicious. The whole by-election is opened to
questions, of BN undemocratic and cheating ways.
I am afraid, they have enough of postal and phamtom voters to off set the ground made by PR. Have to keep
a tight watch over their dishonest activities. It is so obvious, they are up to no good.
Only KT good citizens can determine a favorable outcome to PR…please stand up and be counted, a chance in your life time!
koolgeek
January 16, 2009
yalah, at least 3mil each mah. inflation.
Ben
January 16, 2009
Salute to journos with integrity and also zorro and team to ensure they get caught. Let’s pray they don’t get over zealous and create havoc when they lose. On the one side they have the power and money. On the other side is the poor and humble but righteous who refuse to sell their souls for money. Who do you oppose? Who should you support? Educate your friends!
storm62
January 17, 2009
if Botak syed hamid arrest both of them, i’ll be the first to give him a TIGHT slap.
what a brave women, both of them…my salute to you both. ms chan & ms chen.
Biztrack
January 17, 2009
I just hope that these two honest journalists will not need “police protection” as provided by Shit Alblur !!
muslim
January 17, 2009
Orang Islam boleh.
malaysian
January 17, 2009
the peoples power not kuasa barisan nasional the food is so expensive!!!!!our salary so little how 2 survive the bn gov so rich nvr help us they can enjoy eating in 5star hotel buy big house o land o go overseas so useless!!!!we mst bring tem down so action ontv media all use our money to buy de media!!!simply use epf money 2 borrow dono wat stupid gov nep cut our epf 2 8percents!our petrol also stil high price bn gov untung so much!!!n use de police 2 catch politic ppl not criminals!!we r malaysian not corruption!!!
sinniah
January 17, 2009
Seeing this pictures, tears welled up in my (ears) oops EYES….
Let the voting begin…..bring out the ballot boxes….let the CHANGE continue till we see a NEW DAWN for Malaysia.
THANK YOU to the 3 Musketeers and the gang
bobochia
January 17, 2009
Translated into chinese >>>>
題目：嘩，已經到派紅包的時候啦，啊，Shabery？（就是那個mulut berbuih的新聞部長啦！這句我自己加的~~~）
這是個白色信封。
外表看起來沒什麼。不過卻內有乾坤，裡面裝了這些東西（鈔票！）。
然後由新聞部的官員遞給了你──這個你就是在新聞中心採訪瓜登補選新聞的記者。官員叫你簽收，不過又不告訴你這筆錢是拿來做什麼的喎。
這就是今天數名在新聞中心採訪瓜登補選之記者的親身經歷。
在今天下午的大概3點50分，有兩名記者接到的白色信封裡面，分別有6張50元大鈔。
左起：Shaua Fui 和Wei See（我看了獨立新聞在線，應該是薛霏和慧思）
她們兩個都是Merdekareview.com的新聞工作者。她們認為此舉不對，所以決定去報警。
Zorro, Gus和我陪她們到警局去報案。
慧思對著鏡頭攤開鈔票，而薛霏則忙著打報案紙。
慧思和薛霏對著鏡頭出示她們的報案紙。
在寫著這篇博文的時候，我被通知說她們已經被查案官叫到警局去錄口供了。她們是在另一名律師的陪同下到警局去報到的。
慧思和薛霏，認識你們，真是我的榮幸。
foodforthought
January 17, 2009
Kudos to ALL for revealing the truth!
midnight_only
January 17, 2009
don’t be surprise the turn out voters more than the numbers of registered voters.
panca
January 17, 2009
They are not voters though but reporters do stick to principles if one should know that they are not the same as those from MSM ala Umno/BN.
What a corrupt gomen! If this is not corruption then what is?
Jarod
January 17, 2009
Good one to the MEDIA. Media and Pakatan Rakyat 1 – BanaNa 0
JTB
January 17, 2009
Ministry of Information cannot get it right. Look guys Chinese New Year is around the Corner, if you want to give Ang Pow put it in a nice red packet lah. When you put it in a white envelope it means giving money to the dead, you do that at funerals. Surely the 2 Chinese reporters are offended.
Now let’s see what our Polis Di Raja Malaysia will do. Want to bet, there will be no case.
Mr Smith
January 17, 2009
Haris,
Ask any journalist especially from Utusan and Berita and they will tell you that they have been receiving ang pau such as these for donkey years from BN journalists. And there are payments in kind too.
zach
January 17, 2009
This foamed mouth Shitberry thinks that money talks n always get the job done
I salute the journos who still hav a sense of integrity n profesionalism
A vote 4 UMNO is vote corruption,bribery n strip of all people’s liberties
So,I urge all KT voters especially my Malay brethren(who seem 2 b split btw PAS n UMNO)2 send a message 2 the munafiks of UMNO/Barisan Najis that they r not the gov that u will entrust 2 ur children n grandchildren
mustafakanuar
January 17, 2009
Haris,
A big thank you to you, Zorro and other bloggers who had taken time and effort to provide an insight into things in KT that may not be brought into the daylight by the MSM.
mustafakanuar,
Just doing the little we can
James
January 17, 2009
What do you think the police will do?
Who do you think they serve?
They will do NOTHING, until there is a change of govt. and a total change of govt depts. including the police
It is a waste of time to report, but it is necessary for future action.
jokekl
January 17, 2009
Ho MY GOD !
Jimmy Loong
January 17, 2009
Just look at the Taiwan Ex-President, Chen ShuiPian during his two terms, a total of eight years ruling, from 20th May 2000 till 19th May 2008, he has turned Taiwan into a mess. Chen ShuiPian is now in the lock-up waiting for the corruption trials etc.. , and he is now called 2185. Chen has been Abusive, Bullshitting and Corrupt. Because of 911 terrorist attack, the world body has come up with a rule that any transfer of USD 2,000,000.00 and above, the authority must investigate thus his corrupt nature was revealed when the amount of money was transfered into his son and daughter-in-law account in Swiss. For eight years, Chen has laid his plan of corrupt nicely by infiltrating all the governmental sectors, the judicially, the military etc with the evil ways by using the trillion of dollars he siphoned from the Treasury, the Taiwanese money. The Swiss authority had sent a letter to the the Taiwan autority to ask to investigate this money launtry as the Chen’s son ans daughter-in-law had given the Swiss authority controversial answers in 2006. This letter was given to Chen ShuiPian by the Chief, Yer ShengMou from the Taiwan Security Department. The case was withhold or covered up for two years until Chen’s term ended on 20th May 2008. ANY differences or similarities from our BNed government?
In fact, I am thanking the Lord that He has shown me all these proofs that all of us are indeed sinners, anyway!.
God know very well our weaknesses that is why He sent His Son Jesus to tell us the Way, the Truth and the Life.
Matthew 23.1-39. ….2 ” The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees are the authorized interpreters of Moses’s Law. So you must obey and follow everything they tell you to do; do not, however, imitate their actions, because they don’t practise what they preach. They tie on to the people’s backs loads that are heavy and hard to carry, yet they aren’t willing even to lift a finger to help them to carry those loads. …”…….13 ” How terrible for you, teachers of Law and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You lock the door to the Kingdom of heaven in people’s faces, and you yourselves don’t go in, nor do you allow in those who are trying to enter!” 14 “How terrible for you, teachers of Law and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You take advantage of widows ( in Terengganu case the petrol money by the billions)and rob them of their homes, and then make a show of saying long prayers!( giving out contracts, school building funds etc…)Because of this your punishment will be all the worse! (see the KT result tonight if the KT people is alert or we have to wait until GE the 13rd)
Thank you Chan Wei See and Chen Shaua Fui, but be careful you may have to ask that Shit to protect you by using ISA.
Entrapment is in every way!!! Beware!Beware!Beware!
LKO
January 17, 2009
Until and unless there is a change in the federal government, my opinion is that this will be swept under the carpet. A damn big carpet that is bulging like a mountain that no one admits to.
arianna
January 17, 2009
Dear Haris,
We lauded the 2 journalists for their bravery to expose such act.
In Sabah, this is a norm. Some are even on the payroll. We don’t report to the police. No point. But, the politicians and journalists (even the readers) alike know who are the corrupt journalists who sell their pen and those with integrity.
The smart journalists took the money, say a big thank you to the ‘donors’ and go back and write their stories according to ethics. Of course politicians are mad about articles especially political news/analysis which they think not leaning towards them. Especially when they’ve passed the envelopes.
“I thought you gave the money in good faith. Didn’t know it was meant to bribe me!,” was the cheeky respond from these few smart journalists. Well, if you are the politicians what can you do except to shut up!.
Believe me, Haris, these few journalists actually earn the respect of even the most corrupt politicians in Sabah because they cannot be bought. And of course, they are ‘blacklisted’ from some political functions.
But seasoned journalists know how to smoke out these politicians, and get scoops…..the juniors just have to learn from them on how to handle these corrupt politicians.
Great work in KT. Cheers.
stcin
January 17, 2009
” Hi ! ladies, well done ! we’r proud of u !! now, listen, pls come back to KT, 1 bulan later to help us in investigation ! ok, tq ! tk ” ( hahaha!)
zakuankb
January 18, 2009
The two of you are very good .The paper you are working with are very fortunate to have honest and very resposible reporters .If the PR is able to govern the country then all the money politics will be vanish .PR supporters should be very happy now because their leader is nearer to Seri Perdana in Putrajaya but they should also know the history and the origin of money politics.It started in the eighties when a contender was challenging the then incumbent TPM .From then on every political post being contested involved millions of dollars .The big sin is Umno used RAKYAT’s money while others use gambelers’ money .Whatever money they use they are still committing sins . Do think the life after this world .Politics is never clean but great politicians can make it clean if they really try .Be like the Tungku , Tun Razak , Tun Hussin and Tun Mahathir .
anna brella
January 19, 2009
It is commendable that these two women reporters and those four unnamed reporters from Malaysiakini, and perhaps some other journalists too, refused to accept the cheap bribes offered them and acted with integrity because I suppose they understood the important function of their laudable profession in a democracy and respected themselves enough as professionals to stay true to the ethics of principled journalism.
So Ms Chen and Ms Chan are obviously to be thanked for bringing this alleged instance of electoral impropriety in this key by-election to public attention.
What is amazing to me though is the blatancy and dead-pan-ness with which such illegal practises, if true, appear to be practised and worse, accepted as if they were somehow “normal” and so par for the course during elections.
It is NOT normal at all nor is it standard practice to cheat and try to subvert democratic elections by illegally influencing their outcome.
Cheating in elections is detrimental to the public and national interest which is why such improprieties are normally stipulated as criminal offences.
From a systemic viewpoint, the election process is an intrinsic change mechanism and because of its vital importance to the whole structure of the governance system the election process is managed and controlled by an independent part of the system which is itself accountable only to the whole and so not to any other sub-part of the democratic system.
So the Election Commission, which manages elections and the electoral register, should only be accountable to Parliament and not, say to the Executive government part or the Legislative law-making part.
For elections to function to purpose effectively, the electoral process must provide an uberimae fidae-like cast-iron guarantee to the voting electorate to assure every voting member that their individual votes carry the same value and same power to effect democratic change and that their voluntarily cast votes will be guaranteed confidentially to enable them to cast their votes at will without fear or favour.
If the voting electorate lose interest or confidence, in the election process because of the improprieties known/suspected to be within the process, they will begin to lose trust and not participate in it which means the People/nation will face the risk of the governance system atropying as it becomes more and more tampered and manipulated with over time by those in power (from their obvious positions of access and control) in a vicious cycle until the system breaks down completely eventually and morphs into something other than its initially defined identity, even if you or government still act in denial and insist on calling it by its former systemic identity.
This is why you cannot buy votes or tamper with the process and outcomes of democratic elections.
Finally, sorry, I may be ignorant on the details here, but why are these alleged electoral improprieties being reported to the PDRM instead of directly to the Election Commission (EC)? Is it not part of the EC’s remit to investigate and resolve these alleged electoral improprieties through their own investigating body and then lodging their evidence and any requests for prosecutions with the AG/IGP?
“Imagine Power To The People” John Lennon.
Pegasus
January 19, 2009
Well done ladies,one of the contributing factor for KT folks to choose PAS..Congratulations to these ladies and the KT folks for doing the right things…certainly the Ox is charging in the right direction…Shaberry Cheek will not only be foaming at the mouth but bleeding through his nose and ears for this mishap..!!!.will he resign?..No,there is no such thing in BN regime’s appointment letter for the leaders..these S-holes are high profile pirates and robbers who sits in the cabinet for 5 years or more and accumulate wealth as they go on developing their ministries and their wealth in the same instance…Our government hospital are pathetic..money could be use to upgrade these places for the public use…but that’s hard to come…Anyway,we are heading in the right direction with the KT by-election…Well Done!!!