Together with other Pakatan Rakyat MPs, DAP MP for Batu Gajah
Fong Po Kuan grilled Nazri Aziz, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department for the RM2.4 million indelible ink scandal by the Election Commission in the 12th general election.
Po Kuan has blogged about her spunky scrutiny-in-progress, as evident from the two video clips here.
This parliamentary episode is reported by New Straits Times parliamentary report:
Spunky Scrutiny – Part 1 :
Spunky Scrutiny – Part 2 :
Hansard for Spunky Scrutiny – Part 1
Timbalan Yang di-Pertua [Datuk Ronald Kiandee]: Yang Berhormat Batu Gajah. Dia bagi Yang Berhormat Batu Gajah.
Puan Fong Po Kuan [Batu Gajah]: Terima kasih Yang Berhormat Menteri. Lagi
banyak Yang Berhormat Menteri cuba menjelaskan, lagi mengelirukan Dewan ini. Sekarang saya cuba cari dan orang ramai di luar juga hendak tahu sekarang siapa sedang berbohong dan tidak beritahu kebenaran.
Tadi Yang Berhormat kata tiada arahan ke atas SPR tapi pengerusi kata bahawa Kabinet tidak memberikan kelulusan penggunaannya. Perdana Menteri membalas pula bahawa hanya satu cadangan dan ini adalah satu jawapan kepada soalan Yang Berhormat Kuala Selangor 12 Mei. Terang-terang dia kata Jemaah Menteri telah menolak cadangan SPR untuk memperuntukkan cadangan penggunaan dakwat kekal di atas jari kuku. [Tepuk] Ini jelas menolak cadangan SPR. Jadi sekarang ini siapa tidak cakap benar dalam Dewan ini dan di luar sana orang ramai sedang mahu tahu siapa sekarang cuba menipu di sini? Berbohong. Perkara kedua berkenaan Perlembagaan 119, hak untuk mengundi. Kalau pihak SPR ingat dan prihatin, minta nasihat Majlis Fatwa Kebangsaan untuk bertanya apakah penggunaan dakwat ini dibenarkan oleh hukum syarak. Kenapa boleh terlupa dari segi undang-undang perlembagaan dan akta pilihan raya ini? Jadi mesti ada anggota kena bertanggungjawab ke atas ini.
Timbalan Yang di-Pertua [Datuk Ronald Kiandee]: Baik Yang Berhormat.
Puan Fong Po Kuan [Batu Gajah]: Jangan cuba memusingkan fakta lagi. Beritahu kebenaran, siapa yang sedang berbohong di sini.
Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz: Tuan Yang di-Pertua, Pekan Pusing di Batu Gajah bukan tempat saya. Padang Rengas tak ada pusing. Batu Gajah ada Kampung
Pusing.
Tuan Yang di-Pertua, kita memang hendak bagi tahu di sini bahawa soalnya macam jawapan, kita menunggu fatwa. Itu bermakna bahawa kita dengarlah cakap SPR tetapi apabila Peguam Negara menasihatkan kepada kita iaitu selepas itu dua mesyuarat sebelum pilihan raya pihak Peguam Negara menasihatkan kepada kita mengatakan mungkin kita akan melanggar perlembagaan. Barulah kita bangkit. Sebelum itu tidak dibangkitkan oleh sesiapa. Jadi itu keikhlasan kita. Bermakna…
Puan Fong Po Kuan [Batu Gajah]: Jadi siapa tak buat kerja dia? Dalam aspek perundangan untuk memastikan cadangan penggunaan dakwat ini tak boleh dijalankan.
Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz: Yang tak buat kerjanya SPR lah. Sebab SPR…
Puan Fong Po Kuan [Batu Gajah]: AG di mana?
Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz: Ini apa benda ini? Duduklah dahulu.
Puan Fong Po Kuan [Batu Gajah]: Pejabat peguam di mana?
Timbalan Yang di-Pertua [Datuk Ronald Kiandee]: Yang Berhormat…
Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz: You mahu jawapan kah tak mahu
jawapan? Duduklah.
Timbalan Yang di-Pertua [Datuk Ronald Kiandee]: Yang Berhormat.
Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz: Duduk. Jadi macam SPR kita terima apa sahaja kalau jawapan yang ada berkaitan dengan SPR dalam Dewan Rakyat, mereka bagi kepada kita. Sebab itu pada waktu itu saya sekali Menteri bila ditanya berkenaan perkara ini saya terimalah dengan keikhlasan hati bahawa apa yang dilakukan itu adalah betul dan tidak ada salah.
Masalahnya SPR tidak rujuk kepada AG dan AG tidak berkesempatan untuk melihat perkara ini kerana tidak dirujuk kepada mereka. Akhirnya bila dekat dengan pilihan raya seperti biasa bila dekat pilihan raya kita akan duduk dan kaji apakah perkara yang boleh memungkinkan pilihan raya ini dibatalkan, rosak maka barulah dilihat ini bahaya. Kalau sekiranya diteruskan mungkin ada orang yang tak mahu dicalit. Itulah bangkit perkara ini sebelum pilihan raya yang berlaku baru-baru ini.
Dr. Haji Mohd. Puad Zarkashi [Batu Pahat]: Mohon penjelasan.
Dr. Dzulkefly Ahmad [Kuala Selangor]:[Bangun]
Puan Hajah Fuziah Salleh [Kuantan]: [Bangun]
Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz: Soal jawapan…
Dr. Haji Mohd. Puad Zarkashi [Batu Pahat]: Mohon penjelasan, Batu Pahat.
Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz: Yang Berhormat Kuala Selangor. Relax,
relax.
Dr. Haji Mohd. Puad Zarkashi [Batu Pahat]: Batu Pahat.
Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz: Tak apa saya faham sudah. Sekilas ikan
di air…
Timbalan Yang di-Pertua [Datuk Ronald Kiandee]: Sekejap Yang Berhormat.
Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz: …jantan betina saya sudah tahu sudah.
Timbalan Yang di-Pertua [Datuk Ronald Kiandee]: Dia tengah habiskan jawapan.
Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz: Jadi dalam jawapan Yang Berhormat sebut ada perbezaan di antara soal menolak dan mengarah ini. Menolak dan mengarah. Kalau kita tidak bersetuju makna kita tolaklah, tapi soal sama ada SPR hendak ambil nasihat dan penolakan kita itu terpulang kepada dia. Kalau sebenarnya kita mengarahkan dia awalawal lagi sudah SPR sudah buat pengumuman bahawa tidak menggunakan inedible ink tapi kita serah pada dia. Sebenarnya tiga hari sebelum pilihan raya dia umum rugi kita. Barisan Nasional kalah kerusi banyak sebab apabila Pengerusi SPR umum…
Tuan Chong Chieng Jen [Bandar Kuching]: [Menyampuk]
Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz: Ya, kalah kerusi banyak juga sebab orang memikirkan ini satu usaha lagi daripada pihak Barisan Nasional cuba hendak memenangkan pilihan raya dengan cara yang tidak betul dan jangan ada inedible ink. Kita tak sempat. Tak sempat hendak jawab. Ini jelas menunjukkan iaitu bahawa sebenarnya SPR…
Tuan Haji Mahfuz bin Omar [Pokok Sena]: Patut kami menang lagi banyak.
Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz: …bertindak bebas. Dia bertindak bebas. Jadi tidak ada kena-mengena. Kita bagi pandangan kita. Betul kita tolak tapi bukan untuk SPR menerima arahan itu.
Dr. Haji Mohd. Puad Zarkashi [Batu Pahat]: [Bangun]
Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz: Terpulang kepada mereka dan saya sebut dua mesyuarat Jemaah Menteri sebelum pembubaran sepatutnya kalau di umum awalawal kalau kita arah you jawab juga sekarang, tolak. Selamatlah kita. Ada masa untuk kita membuat penjelasan tapi tiga hari sebelum pilihan raya. Sebab itu undi saya pun lari banyak pasal ingat saya hendak tipu. Jadi sebenarnya Yang Berhormat…
Dr. Haji Mohd. Puad Zarkashi [Batu Pahat]: Mohon penjelasan.
Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz: …saya tidak mahu menyalahkan sesiapa. Tidak baik dalam Dewan ini hendak mengatakan orang itu berbohong tapi terpulang kepada Yang Berhormat untuk menilai siapa yang cakap betul dan siapa yang menipu dalam hal ini.
===
Hansard of Spunky Scrutiny – Part 2
Timbalan Yang di-Pertua [Datuk Ronald Kiandee]: Ya, Yang Berhormat Batu Gajah.
Puan Fong Po Kuan [Batu Gajah]: Terima kasih Yang Berhormat Menteri. Apa yang kita mahu di sini adalah akauntabiliti dan ketelusan. Yang Berhormat mengaku atau tidak bahawa dalam insiden pembatalan penggunaan dakwat, telah timbul kelalaian oleh pihak tertentu. Jika ya, apa tindakan akan diambil untuk menunjukkan kerajaan sebuah kerajaan yang bertanggungjawab?
Perkara kedua, berkenaan dakwat tersebut. Ramai yang ingin tahu apakah dakwat tersebut ada dibeli? Jika ya, di mana dakwat itu sekarang kerana ia bernilai RM2.4 juta dan ada yang tanya dakwat itu dibeli dari siapa? Jadi mereka nak tahu siapakah akan bertanggungjawab? Saya mahu menteri mengaku kalau sudah silap, telah lalai, terlepas pandang undang-undang, mengaku dalam insiden ini.
Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz: Saya tak tahulah. Tanyalah SPR sebab SPR yang buat keputusan itu semua, sebab dia bebas. Kalau kita bagi arahan pada dia jangan guna, nanti orang akan kata dia tidak bebas. Sebab itu ia memakan masa, ia fikir balik apakah benar yang Kabinet bangkit itu betul dan dia juga fikir RM2 juta lebih ink dah beli ini macam mana. Itu soal dialah. Kita nak buat macam mana?
Puan Fong Po Kuan [Batu Gajah]: Yang Berhormat Menteri, Yang Berhormat…
Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz: Bukan soal lalai kita sebab soalnya dia
tidak rujuk kepada kita…
Puan Fong Po Kuan [Batu Gajah]: …Yang Berhormat sudah silap dalam tanggungjawab. Yang Berhormat sekarang tolak kepada SPR saja. Mana betul!…
Timbalan Yang di-Pertua [Datuk Ronald Kiandee]: Mahu minta jalan Yang Berhormat?
Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz: …Oleh sebab itu dalam soal ini, kelalaian apa yang berlaku bukan di sebelah pihak kita kerana SPR itu adalah bebas dan…
Puan Fong Po Kuan [Batu Gajah]: …Yang Berhormat, Yang Berhormat Menteri, senang kerja…
Timbalan Yang di-Pertua [Datuk Ronald Kiandee]: Yang Berhormat Batu Gajah, kena minta jalan Yang Berhormat.
Puan Fong Po Kuan [Batu Gajah]: …Minta penjelasan, Yang Berhormat.
Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz: …Kalau Yang Berhormat nak tahu berkenaan dengan soal di manakah dakwat itu sekarang berada, adalah lebih baik Yang Berhormat buat soalan secara khusus. Dalam Mesyuarat kedua saya boleh bagi jawapan yang akan datang daripada pihak SPR.
Tuan Haji Mahfuz bin Omar [Pokok Sena]: [Bangun]
Dr. Dzulkefly Ahmad [Kuala Selangor]: [Bangun]
Puan Fong Po Kuan [Batu Gajah]: Minta penjelasan.
Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz: Yang Berhormat Pokok Sena, sila.
Timbalan Yang di-Pertua [Datuk Ronald Kiandee]: Dia bagi Yang Berhormat Pokok Sena, Yang Berhormat.
Puan Fong Po Kuan [Batu Gajah]: Itu perkara saya telah bangkit masa perbahasan.
Timbalan Yang di-Pertua [Datuk Ronald Kiandee]: Yang Berhormat Batu Gajah! Sila Yang Berhormat Pokok Sena.
Puan Fong Po Kuan [Batu Gajah]: Ini mahu lari dari tanggungjawab Yang Berhormat Menteri.
===
NST Online 2008/05/23
DEWAN RAKYAT: Nazri grilled decision not to use indelible ink
Reports by V. Vasudevan, B. Suresh Ram, Eileen Ng, R.S. Kamini, Ili Liyana Mokhtar and Joseph Sipalan
THE government bore the brunt of the Election Commission’s decision to cancel the use of indelible ink by voters in the recent general election as opposition members repeatedly poured cold water on the reasons given by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Mohd Nazri Aziz yesterday.
Nazri, replying to points raised during the debate on the royal address, had said the decision not to use the ink was made by the Election Commission.
“The government did not order the commission. We merely told them there were concerns about the legal implications and it could create problems later,” he said of the decision, which was made three days before the March 8 polls.
Nazri said the Constitution provided that every citizen had a right to vote and the commission could not stop anyone from voting because they refused to be marked with the indelible ink.
He was repeatedly challenged by Opposition Leader Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (PKR-Permatang Pauh), Fong Po Kuan (DAP-Batu Gajah), Khalid Samad (Pas-Shah Alam), Dr Zulkifli Ahmad (Pas-Kuala Selangor) and Mahfuz Omar (Pas- Pokok Sena), who fired a variety of questions at Nazri on the issue.
The common thread to the questioning was that the government had failed in not considering the legal implications of using the ink.
They also wanted to know who was responsible for the decision as the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, and Election Commissioner, Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman gave different answers.
“Who is telling the truth here?” asked Mahfuz.
Nazri said the cabinet had alerted the commission two weeks before the decision to dissolve the House was made.
“We conveyed our legal concerns about the use of the ink to the commission.
“It did not mean we ordered them not to use the ink. It is up to the commission as to what it wanted to do,” he said.
Fong said it was strange that the cabinet thought about the legal implications two weeks before the dissolution of the House.
“Where was the attorney-general? Why did he not think about this earlier?” asked Fong, who had said it was strange as the Prime Minister’s Department had thought about the religious implications of using the ink but not the legal aspect.
Nazri said the religious aspects were raised as Muslims had demanded to know if the use of the ink would infringe on their religious practices.
“No one raised the constitutional aspect,” he said, adding that he was not going to reply to the question on what had happened to the RM2.4 million worth of ink bought by the commission.
“Submit it as a written question for the next session,” he said, while declining to answer another question from Fong on who was awarded the contract to bring in the ink.
Wan Azizah told Nazri the whole exercise to cancel the use of indelible ink was suspicious.
“We were told there were reports of people smuggling in the ink and that is why the use of the ink had to be scrapped.
“But after the election we were told it was not the case. Who do we believe then?” she asked.
Nazri said the authorities acted based on the information available at the time.
He said the Barisan Nasional also suffered because the use of indelible ink was cancelled three days before the general election.
“People thought the BN was behind the decision.
“It cost us, too, as there was no time to explain why the decision had to be made,” he said.
The hatched man Nazri is a torn in the flesh for the rakyat of Malaysia. Before the election he was damn quiet and I thought good riddance but somehow or rather he appeared again by a stroke of luck probably helped by the cancellation of the indelible ink.
This hatchet man has high tolerance of non-credibility but low load bearing capability and put on his denial gear more than we use our overdrive. Can Poh Kuan or Kit ask him now to repeat what he said during the Lingam tape crisis before the RCI; that “there is no judicial crisis”? Likewise now he is trying the same game of denying and it is very true that Padang Rengas has no Pekan Pusing but ada Kaki Pusing.
The farce of the indelible ink is now a blame game and that hatchet man is trying again to pull a fast one thinking insulting every good and responsible Malaysian’s intelligence. He can be a Kaki Pusing but Malaysians are not that naïve to be pusing by him. Apparently the EC is getting all the directives from UMNO. The extension of his chairmanship is noting more than make him a stooge of UMNO. If by any order of credibility and capability, he would have been sack long ago. Remember the EC also made blunders during the 2004 GE. It is only in Malaysia under UMNO that servility reigns paramount and the EC chairman is just a highly paid slave of UMNO and for that he fits snugly into UMNO shoes. Anybody who is ignorant of this is not a Malaysian.
seems like anything that cannot be overuled by the ketuanan tag they will drag in the muslim tag.
The malays should be aware that they are being painted in very negative light by UMNO. That’s how the world is perceiving them right now – weak and corrupted.
I really feel sorry for all the hard working and uncorrupted Malays.Even in schools the Malays are look down on..even by thier own Malay teachers..When they say things like this ” Tak payah lah 5 As pun cukup..
“Nazri said the authorities acted based on the information available at the time.
He said the Barisan Nasional also suffered because the use of indelible ink was cancelled three days before the general election.
“People thought the BN was behind the decision.
“It cost us, too, as there was no time to explain why the decision had to be made,” he said. ”
What a load of hogwash is that?
It is well and good that the BN suffered because it has numerous idiots in its cabinet! And it is fond of shooting itself in both feet!
Why should the Malaysian public suffer as well because of its stupidity?
with the use of indelible ink,no way sabah and sarawak have big wins by BN,furthermore,if BN won,u think tis idiot Nazi will talk like now?he will use the same sarcastic tone shouted at PohKuan:”bodoh!bodoh!bodoh!oh,bukan,tidak cerdik!”
Nazi,you are also one of the main reasons why UMNO being defeated!tautak bodoh!
To side track, the federal gomen and the Tourism minister always boasting to the public that the number of foreign tourists to Malaysia were increasing very rapidly.
My questions:
1 What are the real breakdown by nationality of the foreign tourists to Malaysia?
2. How much per head such “tourists” really spend while in Malaysia, especially those poor Indonesians and Burmeses?
3. How many days on average such foreign tourists really stay in Malaysia?
To me, I dun see any increase in foreign tourists at all. Just go and visit KLIA, KLCC, Langkawi yourselves, we dun see many foreign tourists at all!
I suspect the Tourism Minister is inflating the figure so that a bigger fund will be allocated to her and her department!
Kit, can you or your other MP raise the above questions in Parliament?
A Singapore political analyst said the government cancelled the use of indelible ink at the last minute in the 12th general election had help PR to “win big” because the rakyat were angry that they had been fooled by the government and they cast their votes to PR to vent their anger!
Following are verbatim extracts of what STAR had reported:
(1) Barisan Nasional chairman Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the coalition was all for the use of the ink. However, it accepted the EC’s decision to scrap its use. (March 6, 2008, “Ink mark or no, people can still vote”.)
(2) MCA expressed its disappointment that the plan to use the ink was scrapped. “The EC action will be politicised by the Opposition parties,” MCA headquarters elections operation director Tan Sri Wong See Wah told a press conference yesterday. Wong said the MCA was outraged that there were people who smuggled in the indelible ink with the intention to create chaos on polling day. (March 6, 2008, “Ink mark or no, people can still vote”.)
(3) Earlier, EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman said the Cabinet decided not to approve the proposal to use indelible ink “on the day of Parliament dissolution, on Feb 13″. (May 18, 2008, “It was only a suggestion, says PM”.)
A public explanation from MCA headquarters elections operation director Tan Sri Wong See Wah is therefore in order. His confusing statements above cannot be countenanced by the Chinese community. As a senior figure at the top of MCA political totem pole, he cannot be acting like John Wyne shooting from the hip. Shame on you, Tan Sri, and by extension, MCA!
Did you all notice the behaviour of EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman during the telecast on the night of polling day.From his comments and body language ,really cant believe that he is EC chairman who is supposed to be neutral.He looks more like an UMNO spoke person than a EC chairman.Thats why UMNO extended the retirement age to another year in order to have him around.
Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman is really a disgrace to the nation.He is a dog to his master UMNO but the turn of event on indelible ink ,the master have abandoned the dog.Serve this dog right. At least my dog got better treatment from me.
Im a stupid Malaysian ….Can someone please tell me this When do the POLICE and ACA need permission from the AG,s chambers to investigate a case. Read this in the NST today..NO WORD YET FROM THE AG TO PROBE THE LIMGAM SIX.
Im so stupid. All the while i thought that the ACA was independent ..That is the reason why Local counsils and most of BN MP,s if not all are corrupted.
Im so stupid ..i know the AG is powerful..but never knew he was that powerful.
Who is Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz??!!!! Just a piece of rubbish who wasting dumb millions money…..
August 14, 2007 – The black ink from India, which would cost less than one million ringgit, would be applied on a voter’s left forefinger, the paper said.
deccanherald.com/Content/Aug142007/foreign2007081419086.asp?section=scrollingnews
February 23rd, 2008 – The indelible ink, costing over RM 2million, will make its first appearance in a general election here.
topnews.in/malaysian-poll-body-requisitions-47-000-bottles-indian-indelible-ink-221864
Between August `07 and Feb `08 someone has made the difference of more than RM1 million.
The reason for the conflicting statements is `cos the thieves are fighting over the spoils.
Don’t waste time on an irredeemable imbecile like Nazri. He is part of the UMNO system and he has to serve the interests of UMNO, why “force” him to admit to the truth. Just get rid of BN/UMNO, Nazri will also be “ta-pau” together.
Debating or arguing with someone who is outright “untruthful” but has the skill of twisting words and hiding behind legal jargon to deflect hard questioning is a waste of time.
Wait for PR to takeover, then the new Govt can conduct a full investigation on him and make him account for “out-of-line” activities that may surface. Let him continue to inflate his ego and arrogance, and build up the Rakyat’s disgust for him. Come judgment day, no tears will be shed for him.
Didnt NAZRI also said that an inquiry into the judicial crisis was not necessary because it happened so long ago?
Why are you people compensating the dismissed federal court judges now?
The Lingam clips did not open up the can of worms.
The Lingam clips show us the second (or it is third) generation worms of the crisis.