Imagine the EC pro-actively vet winners of election to clear them of irregularities!

Another installment of electoral imagination: imagine this time that the Election Commission pro-actively vet winners of the elections to clear them of irregularities and frauds in Malaysia! The Thai’s EC do it regularly and in one past election the powerful and dutiful Thai EC nullified 40 out of 500 winners in a national poll(8%)! If the EC here does its job well may be we would see more than 8% of our candidates rejected!Imagine that as a deterrent against the candidates who now violate the laws with impunity!!!!!

Thai poll body gives go-ahead for parliament to sit

July 27, 2011

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Imagine an election where there is no posters, no Opposition…

The Election Commission is reportedly proposing, among 30 ideas, to do away with poster wars during elections! It may means that voters may not see any posters -including the Opposition posters that remind the voters of their presence. Without the posters and without publicity in the mainstream paper, TVs and radios the Opposition’s presence will merely be felt in the alternative media-limiting its coverage to only half of the voters-and actually only those who are willing to turn to Opposition’s blogs and web sites! How did the EC come out with such an idea?

There are actually precedence to such poster-less elections. In the university campuses the students council elections have been done without free postering. Every poster have to follow a standard size and colour scheme. Each copy need to be stamped by the university administration. If it has been done in the campuses for years-and never met any poud opposition, why not expand the idea to the wider society? On the face of it it may even claim to help save some trees -including the ones used to print dollar notes! However given the little access of the Opposition to the mainstream media it may mean that the opposition may well disappear from most of the public spaces!

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Bersih vs EC debate: EC downgrade itself as an election manager-not top administrator!

Wan Ahmad being booed from beginning to bottom

The debate between EC and Bersih was nothing like a debate: the EC started off on a wrong footing and got booed till the end! The EC spokeperson Wan Ahmad claim to be an election manager with all changes in laws and regulations to be approved by the politicians. In that case the politicians behind the EC should perhaps be the debaters instead! In anycase their reading of the laws is flawed-due partly to their lack of training and background in election administration. They need to be told by the Bersih chair Ambiga that the EC is the only body mentioned in the Constitution to administer elections where they are empowered to obtain assistance from all other government departments! Further their appointment is as secured  as high court judges-so they should have no fear of pushing free and fair elections. When challenged repeatedly to disclose the amendments proposed by the EC to the ruling party the EC spokeperson choose to remain silent. When the EC spikeperson was booed repeatedly he sought refuge in the `rural voters’ who still respect EC. Wonder why they choose to seek respect only from BN’s remaining strongholds?

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Ta An approved as WWF-endorsed GTFN member!

WWF says blindsided by Borneo deforestation claim

By Lisa J. Ariffin

July 25, 2011

Greenpeace activists stage a protest against deforestation in the Brazilian town of Claudia, Agust 9, 2005. — Reuters pic

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Suppression of Bersih in the name of safeguarding safety and property make no sense!

The reasons are simple: safety and property can best be ensured by having the best party in charge of the government. With an incompetent or corrupt government the safety and property of citizens would be put at great risk, whether there is rally or not. The best government can only be chosen from free and fair elections. Without any seriousness to address the weaknesses of election system in Malaysia what the ruling party BN/UMNO try to do is to perpetuate their power through electoral competition on non-level playing field!Banning rallies then become a tool to suppress citizens’ questioning the unfair elections-nothing more or less about it. It is a surer way to put the safety and property of the citizens under jeopardy!

Bersih suppression for public good, says Najib

July 25, 2011

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Police want to charge arrested Bersih participants?

So said a Bernama report.The Bersih rally was banned on account that the BN/UMNO see it as an attempt to overthrow it ala-Arab Spring. Problems with such a view: where is your prove to such an intention? Bersih rally aim at electoral reforms-which loudly say its vision and strategy for change  is tied to electoral politics. If anyone read more into it it is up to them to show prove. No one can act on a group merely on unproven suspicion. Or else the rule of law will give way to personal rule or rule by caprice. Another problem: does it sound like an incumbent party  is banning political competition-which is the hallmark of democracy? If Bersih is banned on suspicion that free and fair election championed by it will threaten the political dominance of BN/UMNO it means that the ruling party is showing its autocratic true colours! Now the challenge is: can BN/UMNO survive without these unfair tactics:1. Abuse of government resources(allocation, personnel, buildings, vehicles, programs etc) to buy votes? 2. Complete monopoly of public and private print and free to air radios and TVs?  And worst of all:3. Incompetent and pliant Election Commission and other institutions related to election administration viz MACC, PDRM, local authorities etc. If the banning of Bersih is related to the incumbent parties’ will to perpetuate their power by perpetuating these unfair advantages to themselves then the ruling party is making itself a dictatorship that should be removed by all means deemed appropriate to the people who are the real boss of their country!

Bersih rally-goers to face action

By Debra Chong

Jul 25, 2011

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Post rally

It seems Encik Pandi Suhaili is really hell bent on demonising students who were participating in the last Bersih rally. Please stop your apple polishing. You won’t be made a Senator or appointed into higher post. Forget it.
Don’t you realise that university students are smart enough and to know what they are into. What do you expect of them, to be a “YES MAN” and never to question the authority. Grow up Pandi….
BN had said it so many times that the “RAKYAT SUDAH PANDAI MENILAI” What does this mean to you…… can they be easily influenced by any others. No. I don’t think so. And for your info, students nowadays(especially university students) are being told to learn to ask back and question their lecturers… not just merely listening without understanding. And knowing you, of course you don’t know, cos’ you never had the experience of going to uni.

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It is a matter of `months’ left to prepare for 13th General Elections-Muhyiddin

The BN is put on a `war footing’ for the coming 13th General Elections-according to latest news report from Bernama. More than the words the Bernama put up a photo each day of the PM giving away food to voters, giving away present hamper to sick voters etc. Even more: the PM is holding `meet the people sessions’ in Kedah, meeting voters by the tens of thousands each time-wonder why there is now no more predictions of riot, traffic jams, loses to the cabbies and shopkeepers etc But the salient point is: BN is no longer pretending that all these are for preparing for the general elections! So: how about the Oppositions and civil society?

July 24, 2011 15:10 PM

DPM: Unity, Key To BN’s Victory In 13th Polls

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Who were our Election Commissioners before -are they suitably qualified?

While the government is flirting with the idea of including NGO( and even Opposition members by an UMNO ex-minister) in the Election Commission who are our present Election Commissioners before they are appointed? Have they the requisite qualifications and training to take up the most important post? The previous post of the current Election Commissioners -given below, does not seems to inspire confidence. You can see a number of them are from the Home Ministry before-Abdul Aziz, Wan Ahmad, and the policeman Christopher Wan. Other than these there is 1 in charge of printing-Jamdin Buyong, another in charge of rural welfare/Kemas-Mohd Ramji Alli, 1 state secretary -Hj Zainal Abidin, and another one, Dr P Manogran, from Ministry of Human Resource. Why they can’t allow the better talents like ex-judges, Bar Council leaders, distinguished lawyers, law academics, civil society leaders-or even a football referee has better experiences in running a competition on a level playing field!

So here you are the backgrounds to the current 7 Election Commissioners:

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Psycho Ward Doctor set political conditions for Hii Tiong Huat’s release!

Hii Tiong Huat-the lone protestor from Sibu, has just walked out of the HKL hopspital-but his wife was told of incredible conditions set on his release: that he must not stand next to any politician, and he must leave KL in 2 days! Anyone can tell these are not medical conditions by any stretch of imagination! Hii was also asked to see psychiatric doctors after he go back to Sibu! Hii expressed unhappiness that even the doctors and the hospital has been politicised!

Hii’s wife has flown in last night and have been struggling with the hospital for Hii’s release the whole night, with the help of a lawyer. Hii was taken into a police lock up for the 3rd time after arriving in KL from Sibu on 8th July, all because  he held a self-made placard bearing a simple message `Bersih-(handcuff picture), Kotor OK’. It is a great wonder why anyone should find this offensive or illegal! Since he held this on his own it cannot be an illegal assembly.

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