VOA常速英语2008年-Malaysia Ruling Coalition Remains in Power Amid

By Luis Ramirez
Kuala Lumpur
08 March 2008

Officials in Malaysia say the ruling coalition¹ of Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi has won a majority in Saturday's general election, although opposition² parties have scored big gains. VOA's Luis Ramirez, in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur, reports that violence and accusations³ of fraud marred⁴ the elections, which were overshadowed by racial tensions in a nation that prides itself on ethnic⁵ harmony among its Malay, Chinese and Indian population.

Voting went peacefully in the capital, with Malaysians lining⁶ up throughout the day Saturday to cast ballots⁸. For weeks, pundits⁹ have predicted that Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi's Barisan Nasional, or National Front, coalition would win as it has every election since independence in the 1950s.

The coalition's selling point in these elections was that its policies have brought stability to Malaysia and made its economy one of the most robust¹⁰ in the region.

However, allegations of corruption¹¹, racial tensions, and worries over the economy strengthened the opposition. A voter in Kuala Lumpur, says he cast his ballot⁷ for the opposition Pan Malaysian Islamic party, the PAS. He says he is disillusioned¹² with the ruling coalition because he says it does not espouse¹³ the values of Islam - Malaysia's predominant religion.

VOTER: "I think [it is] better we vote Islamic. [With the] Islamic [party], no corruption."

REPORTER: "[What about] Barisan Nasional?

VOTER:  "No. It is not very clear about the Islamic way. Time for change."

Violence broke out in the northeastern Malaysian state of Terennganu, where police fired tear gas to disperse¹⁴ an angry group of PAS party supporters, who threw rocks at cars and buses that were transporting voters to the polls. Witnesses said the rioters were trying to stop the buses on claims they were carrying unregistered voters to cast illegal ballots.

The government of Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi called these elections months after police cracked down on thousands of ethnic Indians who took to the streets protesting what they say is discrimination at the hands of the country's majority Malay Muslims.

The ruling coalition consists of race-specific parties that are supposed to represent the interests of each group. Kannan Ramasamy is an ethnic Indian activist¹⁵ with the Hindu Rights Action Force, a group that is fighting to stop what it says is the systematic¹⁶ destruction of Hindu temples and application of Sharia law to non-Muslims. He says many ethnic Indians are disillusioned with the coalition and want a system that will give them equality.

"We very much disagree with race based politics and we should be going forward to have unity¹⁷ politics," he said.

The sentiment is echoed by an ethnic Indian voter in an outlying district of the capital, where residents are fighting the impending¹⁸ destruction of another Hindu temple to make way for development. He says he voted for the opposition because he believes the ruling coalition has, after five decades in power, done nothing for ethnic Indians.

"Fifty years, they're failing. I'm suffering," he said. "The Indian community suffers. All the people suffer. What are they doing? Why are the grass-roots people suffering? That's why people are angry now. Why are they putting us separate? We are Malaysians. We are multi-races people here. Why are they doing this way?"

A longstanding system of providing set-asides for ethnic Malays has caused resentment¹⁹ among many ethnic Indians and Chinese who believe the affirmative action programs are depriving them of opportunities in education, business, and housing.

1 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

2 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

3 accusations   

n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名

参考例句：

• There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
• He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。

4 marred   

adj. 被损毁, 污损的

参考例句：

• The game was marred by the behaviour of drunken fans. 喝醉了的球迷行为不轨，把比赛给搅了。
• Bad diction marred the effectiveness of his speech. 措词不当影响了他演说的效果。

5 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

6 lining   

n.衬里，衬料

参考例句：

• The lining of my coat is torn.我的外套衬里破了。
• Moss makes an attractive lining to wire baskets.用苔藓垫在铁丝篮里很漂亮。

7 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

8 ballots   

n.投票表决( ballot的名词复数 )；选举；选票；投票总数v.（使）投票表决( ballot的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• They're counting the ballots. 他们正在计算选票。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The news of rigged ballots has rubbed off much of the shine of their election victory. 他们操纵选票的消息使他们在选举中获得的胜利大为减色。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 pundits   

n.某一学科的权威，专家( pundit的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The pundits disagree on the best way of dealing with the problem. 如何妥善处理这一问题，专家众说纷纭。 来自辞典例句
• That did not stop Chinese pundits from making a fuss over it. 这并没有阻止中国的博学之士对此大惊小怪。 来自互联网

10 robust   

adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的

参考例句：

• She is too tall and robust.她个子太高，身体太壮。
• China wants to keep growth robust to reduce poverty and avoid job losses,AP commented.美联社评论道，中国希望保持经济强势增长，以减少贫困和失业状况。

11 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

12 disillusioned   

a.不再抱幻想的，大失所望的，幻想破灭的

参考例句：

• I soon became disillusioned with the job. 我不久便对这个工作不再抱幻想了。
• Many people who are disillusioned in reality assimilate life to a dream. 许多对现实失望的人把人生比作一场梦。

13 espouse   

v.支持，赞成，嫁娶

参考例句：

• Today,astronomers espouse the theory that comets spawn the swarms.如今，天文学家们支持彗星产生了流星团的说法。
• Some teachers enthusiastically espouse the benefits to be gained from educational software.有些教师热烈赞同可以从教学软件中得到好处的观点。

14 disperse   

vi.使分散；使消失；vt.分散；驱散

参考例句：

• The cattle were swinging their tails to disperse the flies.那些牛甩动着尾巴驱赶苍蝇。
• The children disperse for the holidays.孩子们放假了。

15 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

16 systematic   

adj.有系统的，有计划的，有方法的

参考例句：

• The way he works isn't very systematic.他的工作不是很有条理。
• The teacher made a systematic work of teaching.这个教师进行系统的教学工作。

17 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

18 impending   

a.imminent, about to come or happen

参考例句：

• Against a background of impending famine, heavy fighting took place. 即将发生饥荒之时，严重的战乱爆发了。
• The king convoke parliament to cope with the impending danger. 国王召开国会以应付迫近眉睫的危险。

19 resentment   

n.怨愤，忿恨

参考例句：

• All her feelings of resentment just came pouring out.她一股脑儿倾吐出所有的怨恨。
• She cherished a deep resentment under the rose towards her employer.她暗中对她的雇主怀恨在心。