Pakatan demands to head polls review committee

By Shannon Teoh | August 16, 2011
The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 16 — The federal opposition has demanded that they chair the prime minister’s parliament parliamentary select committee (PSC) on electoral reforms.

In a press statement issued this evening, Pakatan Rakyat (PR) said that Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s announcement “validates issues on electoral reform raised by Pakatan Rakyat and Bersih 2.0 and we consider it a huge feat and win for democratic forces in Malaysia.”

However they want a PR MP to chair the new committee.

“To prove good faith, we request the prime minister to incorporate the following demands (that) the head of the parliamentary committee should be from the opposition,” said the release sent by the coalition’s secretariat.

It also demanded that “these reforms must be finalised, announced, and completed, in toto, before the 13th General Election.”

Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker Datuk Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar had poured cold water on hopes that the Najib administration’s parliamentary select committee (PSC) on electoral reforms can quickly draw up recommendations, stating instead that it would take a year before it concludes discussions.

With speculation that Najib will call snap elections soon, Wan Junaidi’s comments could mean that the parliamentary panel would only present its findings after the next national polls.

The Umno president has also delayed party polls that was due in April this year but the party’s constitution requires that it can only be delayed by 18 months, which is in October next year — exactly when Wan Junaidi believes the PSC will begin wrapping up.

PR added today that the Election Commission (EC) must “be held to account for all its seemingly partisan actions and statements, which have lead to the erosion of public confidence.”

“Reforms must be enacted to the Election Commission itself in order to restore integrity to this institution that is supposed to safeguard democracy,” it said.

The opposition also demanded that all recommendations especially the eight-point demand by electoral reforms movement Bersih be heard.

It also noted that meanwhile, there is “nothing stopping Barisan Nasional from immediately addressing the flaws highlighted thus far” such as its claims of unfair access to the media and over 1,600 foreigners who have been given the right to vote.

Najib had announced the PSC yesterday in a major concession to Bersih after a month of damage control in which his administration and reformist image took a battering in the international media.

Tens of thousands took to the streets to support Bersih’s July 9 rally for clean and fair elections in defiance of warnings of police action, which finally resulted in nearly 1,700 arrests, scores injured and one ex-soldier dead.

The government crackdown led to international criticism and a group of Malaysians even protested when Najib visited London, a rare experience for any Malaysian prime minister abroad.

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13 Replies to “Pakatan demands to head polls review committee”

  1. The systematic election roll fraud is clearly designed by UMNO with the help of the EC to win in many constituencies held by the opposition parties, and many others. This is totally unacceptable and action must be taken against UMNO and the EC by the international democratic community. UMNO is now trying to avoid a parliamentary select committee and royal commission by delay tactics so that the next GE can be held using the tainted election roll before any reforms can be made to the EC. Najip, how long more do you think you can run?

  2. Najib doing things with good faith?
    Are you out of your mind….demanding Pakatan heads the committee?
    Najib will surely say..’go to hell with Pakatan”
    And so it is….knowing Najib never meant one word he said….and Perkatan rubbed it in…back to square one.
    That’s mind over Najib’s “hot air” matters…just talk only.

  3. whatever good intention on the part of Najib, he is buying time for his illegal government as GE2004 and GE2008 had been rigged by EC.

    The only way is for Najib to resign and an Interim Good Governance Government IGGG for the RCI on EC.

    We are again wasting time whoever chair the polls panel as it will be ignored as well when the report is presented. So we back to no way.

    byrquit important = by right quit important,

  4. Don’t waste time to deal with Liar nothing will come out but lie

    Expose more foreigners get Mykad condition vote for BN, this is treason serious matter they are betraying us, breach of trust

    Malaysian should be informed that in GE13

    Either BN die or Malaysia die of treason and bankruptcy

    Make a choice

  5. Aha! I am beginning to see the sly intention behind the announcement of the bipartisan panel. There never was any intention or sincerity to resolve all the electoral problems before GE13. The announcement was just made to placate the Opposition and make the BN Govt look good. Just as Najib had done with the stadium offer for the rally, after he made the offer, they renegaded by declaring that the rally still need a police permit, which they know will never be issued. In this way Najib is trying to portray himself as the good guy that has been trying to accomodate all Bersih and the Opposition’s demands but in actual fact they have already hatch the conspiracy with their people to deny the police permit so the rally cannot proceed.

    He is doing the same thing now. He makes an offer to set up the Parliamentary Committee but arrange with their people that it can only complete its reports after the GE. He will go to town and claim he has been very fair to offer to set up the committee but it is not his fault if the process takes a year and can be completed only after the GE.

  6. This is just dancing around what is already a destroyed credibility of the electoral process. Inevitably, Najib and UMNO/BN will charge PR in trying to destroy the electoral process when they are the ones responsible and doing it themselves.

    The issue is what to do when chaos ensues. We don’t have a plan for when chaos ensues. UMNO/BN still owns the end-game of using force as an excuse at the point chaos. Somehow PR has to have a plan that UMNO/BN loses that end-game..

  7. Beware its a pretense of good faith of this kind of cultured political leaders mind of deception .
    Strongly agreed with PR involvement PSC to double checks any small little loopholes here and there.

    Just look at these Corrupted Greedy lots of BN politicians. Just look at the tycoons political alliances that dominate Malaysian Forbe millionaires listing.
    Just look at the bureaucratic parasites that feed off the productive sector. And, just for laughs, just look at the leaders of our big politicallabour unions with their outrageous salaries & wealth ,career benefiting plans forever ….splurring luxurious diamonds and squandering stae public funds etc

    All Suffering Rakyat of Malaysia Must stand up for yr own civil human rights and condemned and also Mestilah must blame the government/the MalayUmno leadership/the administration, in a democratic, nation or ?? constitutional??, bringing Malaysia down the sliperry slope and further tearing the nation social fabric apart
    The EC, bais- elected certain persons, movements, parties, organizations etc. bears (some) responsiblity, of what sort ??look at their daily Spinnings,sloganeering with the majority of the media headlines busily attacking opposition.PR.
    In a regime of Umno dictatorship only the dictatorial criminals, political accessed cyronies elite, which constantly oppresses/surpresses the overwhelming citizens is to blame for Umnoputras wrong Priorities, implementing wrong ministerial policies ;bigotry mentality of racial Inequality sex scandal – sodomy -sedition nonsenses spinning to distort away pretense attention of Bullying using fearing ISA Inhumane Laws .
    Rakayat Malaysia regardless of race and religion>>
    “”No Fear >>Just Vote PR into Putrajaya comes GE13
    “”

  8. No Fear >>Lets Vote PR into Putrajaya comes 13 GE>>We all knew “”Umno BN totally lost their Political and Trust and Creditiblity 53 yrs by now .
    Hoping PR live up to all of their PR promises,duties ,with conviction serving Rkayat without prejudices but democratically uphold their Prinsip and Constitutional integrity .

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