A non-governmental organisation in Sarawak has received a significant number of complaints from the public regarding aggression, harassment and violence during the state's eighth election last Thursday, its project coordinator said today.

Aminah Ismail of Sarel Management, a local election watchdog, said complaints were received from several constituencies alleging that operation centres belonging to opposition parties were violated by the tearing down of posters and harassment of workers.

She said the group also came to know that members of opposition parties were allegedly prevented from entering some localities for campaigning and putting up posters.

"One such incident involved physical violence," Aminah told malaysiakini

Last week malaysiakini reported that Sarel had received about 50 complaints ranging from rough play, faulty voters' registration list to money politics practised at polling stations and during the campaign period which started from nomination day on Sept 17 to polling day on Sept 27.

Sarel comprises individuals from various community groups and two NGOs who felt the necessity to monitor the election process due to complaints lodged against the Election Commission after the 1999 general elections.

It has 65 volunteers and one office assistant and relies on minimum funding from individuals and local organisations.

Investigate voters' complaints

Sarel was set up as a "vehicle to bring the voters' complaints to the Election Comission (EC), not so much to justify them but to investigate", said its coordinator.

The group will compile reports from all constituencies and present an interim report to the EC and Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) soon.

Aminah said that towards the end of the campaigning period there were complaints about the use of money to 'buy' voters by certain parties.

She said the group also received reports that registered voters were unable to cast their votes, adding that some who had voted in 1999 were informed that their names had been transferred to other costituencies.

She lamented that the complaints included missing names of registered voters while names of deceased voters are still on the electoral roll.

"In one such case an irate man who had previously voted in Kuching in 1999 said his name was transferred from Kuching to Limbang," she said.

One-sided

Aminah noted that the proceedings were generally peaceful and commended the police force for maintaining peace and order.

She said the group also observed that media coverage of the election process was one sided, favouring the ruling coalition.

"On the eve of election day, the national television network broadcast speeches from the president of the ruling coalition as well as the acting head of the caretaker state government calling Sarawakians to vote for their party," she said.

"Most national and regional radio stations and the print media also showed the same tendencies."

It is learnt that all the media coverage, including newspapers, television and radio, were by government-controlled organisations with the exception of Malaysia Today, an alternative tabloid owned by business tycoon Sng Chee Hua.

Barisan Nasional captured the state with a landslide victory claiming 60 out of 62 seats in last Thursday's election. The coalition, led by long-serving Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud lost Meluan to an Independent candidate and Kiduroung to DAP.