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Riot police deployed during Johor Bahru vote count

Tensions ran high in Johor Bahru amid Malaysia election
Police and the public face off as the public try to prevent a suspicious ballot transport vehicle from entering the counting centre. (Yahoo! photo/ Shawn Danker)

REPORTING FROM JOHOR BAHRU

DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang may have beaten former Johor Menteri Besar Abdul Ghani Othman to win the hotly contested Gelang Patah seat by a convincing majority of 14,762 votes,  but it is small consolation for opposition supporters in the state just north of Singapore.

Ruling coalition Barisan Nasional retained a simple majority to extend its 56-year rule over Malaysia, winning 133 parliamentary seats over Pakatan Rakyat’s 89.

A thirty-year-old opposition supporter who only wanted to be known as Roy said he was both shocked and disappointed that a new a government won't be taking over.

"There's more to this surely with so many stories of cheating taking place," he said, referring to numerous allegations by opposition members as well as supporters regarding ghost voters and the controversies surrounding a counting centre in Johor which reportedly lost electricity.

Together with the "indelible " ink fiasco and other alleged controversies, there was much fuel added to the anger of the crowds that gathered near the vote counting centre near the Majlis Perbandaran Johor Bahru Tengah building late on Sunday night.



Mystery vehicles

Police officers, including those from the Federal Reserve Unit and the Special Branch maintained a huge presence in the area and used barbed wire to block off  roads leading to the tally centre.

Tension began to rise after an unruly group of BN supporters were allowed to get past the barbed wire and head down the street. A stand-off ensued with some of the opposition supporters at a coffeeshop along the road. Police rushed to the coffeeshop area to ensure things didn't get ugly.

Just after that incident, some opposition supporters claimed that "mysterious" vehicles were getting to the tally centre car park via different entrances. The crowd started chanting slogans and some started complaining loudly -- shouting that unfair practices were being carried out.

A mini-riot ensued later when a mob of about 150 people surrounded what appeared to be a airport taxi with ballot boxes at a nearby narrow alleyway.  They started damaging the vehicle and soon numerous police officers rushed in and made arrests. They managed to secure the vehicle and it eventually made it to the tally centre. Those involved in the mob were seen running down the alleyway with police officers giving chase.

Many in the area were questioning why votes were being transported by a taxi rather than an official vehicle and some were also unhappy that these votes were being brought in around 9.45pm, which they felt was rather late.

Soon, another car allegedly carrying some ballot boxes was targeted. Some 50 people surrounded the car. The vehicle's tyres were punctured. Police managed to control the situation within 15 minutes.

At this point, riot police officers, some armed with tear gas, formed a wall at one end of the road leading to the tally centre. Overall police presence was increased as well.  Tension was running high with the crowd refusing to budge and chanting the word, "Bersih".

Mixed reaction from JB residents

While all this was going on, some residents living close to the tally centre feared for their safety. 29-year-old Dharma Raj was carefully peering out of his gate to look at what was going on.


"This is the first time I am seeing all this. The police told us to stay inside and not to come out. I'm worried about clashes and violence but we hope everything will be normal soon, " said the engineer who lives with five family members.

However, his neighbour down the road was less concerned and had invited his extended family members to gather and watch the live coverage of the the election results on television.

"We're not worried, just very anxious for the results because this will affect the next generation of Malaysians. Even if there are people fighting on the streets,  I think it won't last very long," said 60-year-old Peter Chong who was outside his house with his relatives. His mother, Mdm Chong who is 90-years-old was seated in the living room getting updates on television. The younger members of the family were constantly checking their mobile devices and updating the elders.

Another person living around the area said he was worried about violence and was glad with the large number of police officers. "They have been very professional and we feel safe," said the 40-year-old man who only wanted to be known as Yian.

When the official results were announced at the centre, the roads around the area were clear with only a few die-hard supporters hanging around.

After speaking to the media at the centre, Lim walked out to meet his supporters before being whisked away in a car by party members.

While many opposition supporters were disappointed about the overall outcome, one man who was with with friends carrying a DAP flag preferred to look at the bright side of things.

"We have to accept the results. You win some and you lose some, but this election result is still a a good thing for the opposition," said 36-year-old Siva Prakash.

"This is a great turning point because we have seen so many young and first time voters supporting the opposition."

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