Reported in The Star, the Election Commission wants the power to sue critics who make baseless allegations against it.
Its chairman Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman said: “There are those who take to the streets (telling lies) and getting the publicity, and we (the Election Commission) suffer. “If we have the power to sue, we can take action against those who spread lies without evidence,” he told newsmen.
I am astounded by his statement. What is the use of EC if it can't even defend its own image and credibility? Does the EC needs to be given special power to sue? I do not think so. The chairman, on the behalf of EC, can file a defamation case against any critic. I am not surprised if what Abdul Rashid really wanted is power to put someone in jail without trial.
“These people are traitors (for hurting the image of the country). Vote-rigging is not possible here because the electoral boxes are there in front of the eyes of the agents (representing the candidates and parties) at all times,” he said.
Despite his experience of running elections over the past many years, the EC chairman's understanding of the electoral process seems to be quite limited. Fraud and vote rigging can be conducted through many ways e.g. phantom voters, vote buying, unfair access to media, sheer financial strength etc.
This is why the calls to clean up the electoral roll must be acted upon. Even Dr Mahathir has warned of possible vote buying in the upcoming elections.
For example in Germany, the publicly funded broadcasting stations are obligated to provide equal access to all politicians regardless of their affiliation. The access is important so that voters are well informed of their choice and selection of candidates.
Abdul Rashid should ask for power to prosecute and punish those who played dirty in the upcoming elections and not power to sue critics. The inability of the EC and its chairman to accept open criticisms does not augur well for the openness and transparency of the institution.
4 comments:
dont beat around the bush .. if you are a man, name the so call "those who spread lies without evidence" person(s)
see whether they will sue you or you sue them.
give the rakyat the opportunity to see which party is talking facts and which is firing blanks...
do it - be a man - for once.
Today is the 1st of February 2008, SPR is still unable to produce the on-line electoral roll for the 4th quarter of 2007.
A Great Malaysian Institution under a moronic chairman.
What do you expect the Chairman to say?
The BN government has gone out of the way to change the Act of Parliament so that his retirement could be deferred.
As they say, "the one who pays the piper calls the tune"
The agenda of EC and its chairman is to get BN a 2/3 majority in election. That's all. All the rest are not relevant and anyone including oppositions when attempt to show one relevancy or discrepancy, he or she will be treated as traitors according EC law. What to do, we Malaysians have not gained the needed strength to tell loud and clear to EC " Don't talk Bulls***".
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