Voter education NGO Tindak Malaysia, which assisted Bersih in drafting its proposed election laws to the parliamentary select committee (PSC) on election reform, has denied that the latter jumped the gun in calling for another round of protest after the PSC report was released.
“When we received the PSC report, both Bersih and Tindak Malaysia immediately studied it in detail with our lawyers and were very dismayed with the recommendations.
“Therefore
it cannot be claimed that Bersih was hasty in their decision to proceed
wit the Apr 28 sit-in at Dataran Merdeka,” said Tindak Malaysia founder
Wong Piang Yow (right).In a statement today, Wong said if Bersih waited for the Election Commission (EC) to study the PSC report, it is unlikely the commission will consider the recommendations.
“Providing more time for the EC to study the PSC report will not increase the number of recommendations. If anything, it will be reduced,” he said.
Therefore, Bersih cannot be faulted for losing patience, added Wong.
Assertions in PSC report not true
Meanwhile, Wong also addressed other issues in the PSC report:
* Retention by EC the serial numbers of ballot papers is correct but should be put to use in identifying excess ballot papers. Current system relies on perforation but ignores serial numbers.
* Assertion in PSC report that votes cast are secret under the current system is false as issuance of ballot papers according to sequence of serial numbers can be matched to sequence of identity card numbers for detection. Serial numbers should be randomised.
* Assertion of logistic challenges to implement advance voting for services voters and distance (outstation) voters is unjustified as one centre is only required at each city of every state.
The PSC was formed in August last year after tens of thousands of protestors thronged locked-down Kuala Lumpur in a rally dubbed ‘Bersih 2.0’ to demand for free and fair elections which saw 1,697 people being arrested.
However, Bersih laments that most of its recommendations have been ignored in the PSC report and has called for a sit-in protest at Dataran Merdeka to demand the resignation of the EC.
I understand that Christians form forty percent of the population and as such is a major bloc to be reckoned with.
ReplyDeleteSo, instead of being pushed around by the government, it should galvanise its parishioners to vote for a government that is good for the country and its people.
It's not about politics, it's about survival!!!
Christians form slightly more than 9% of the population in Malaysia, most of them in Sarawak and Sabah on Borneo island.
ReplyDelete