A new school hall in Ketari, named after the DAP Bentong branch chairperson Cheong Koon Kam, is ironically off-limits to DAP but not Gerakan during the ongoing by-election campaign, DAP national organising secretary Tan Kok Wai said today.

The SRJK(C) Perting school hall was named to honour the local community leader who, together with his wife, donated RM60,000 for the construction of the hall, estimated to cost about RM1 million.

Cheong is also the partys deputy campaign director in the upcoming Ketari state by-election.

Yet it is Gerakan that has been allowed by the ruling Barisan Nasional government to monopolise the school hall for its campaigns, Tan claimed.

I cannot understand why the hall is not allowed to be used by DAP, he said.

In the first place, the hall is not supposed to be used for any political purposes, but Gerakan uses back-door tactics by claiming to organise karaoke sessions and dinners, when in actual fact they are making political speeches on topics like the Islamic state.

Last night, while Gerakan was having one of these so-called karaoke sessions, we (DAP) had an open-air ceramah (public talk) at the basketball court next to the hall, but it could have rained any time.

Signature campaign

Tan told a press conference at the party campaign centre in Kampung Perting that Gerakan had been using the hall almost every night, and the unfairness of the situation had prompted DAP to embark on a signature campaign today.

We will be submitting the memorandum to deputy prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi after he officiates the opening of the school hall this evening.

If Gerakan is allowed to use the hall for its own purposes, we should be allowed to do the same, added Tan.

He also brought reporters to observe the state of the school hall and the surrounding premises which were inundated with campaign posters of both contesting parties.

Pointing at a prominent Barisan Nasional banner hung just outside the entrance to the hall, DAPs publicity secretary Ronnie Liu stated that they wanted the banner removed as this is clearly an abuse.

When asked about the banners of DAP candidate Choong Siew Onn displayed not too far from the BN banner, Tan said that ours is hung far away from the school while theirs is at the entrance.

Biased reporting

On a separate matter, Choong also explained his accusations against TV3 over alleged biased reporting on DAP.

Choong said reporters should be reporting their news reports on the very same day that an event takes place.

However, if these stories are reported at a later date, together with a separate issue, then the truth of the events may be taken out of context.

We just want them (TV3) to report things as they are, he added.

The Ketari by-election which will be held on March 31, will see a straight fight between Gerakans Yum Ah Ha and Choong.

The seat fell vacant following the death of its representative, Loke Koon Kam of Gerakan.

The Barisan Nasional candidate won with a 231-vote majority in the 1999 general elections, beating Choong.

Ketari has 17,143 registered voters, of which 95 are postal votes. Chinese Malaysians comprise 53.83 percent (9,228) of the constituency, Malay Malaysians 39.12 percent (6,706) and Indian Malaysians 5.21 percent (843).

The Orang Asli comprise 1.3 percent (223), bumiputra from Sabah and Sarawak 0.21 percent (36) and others 0.33 percent (57)