MM Online - After tribunal ended, DAP MP urges Parliamentary committee to investigate ex-EC members (extracts)
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DAP MP Khoo Poay Tiong says he will propose the setting up of a special select committee on elections in order to investigate the former EC members Picture by Mukhriz Hazim |
KUALA LUMPUR, May 25 ― DAP’s Khoo Poay Tiong said today he will propose a Parliamentary special committee on elections to investigate the six former Election Commission (EC) members after a special tribunal on them ended.
The Kota Melaka MP also urged for a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on the matter, saying it will provide the best avenue.
“First, the parliament must do its duty as a check and balance mechanism. I will be writing to the Dewan Rakyat speaker to propose the setting up of a special select committee on elections in order to investigate the former EC members,” Khoo said in a statement.
“Second, the attorney general and prime minister should further advise the Yang di-Pertuan Agong that a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) is now necessary. The RCI will be the best platform because it will have the fresh mandate and necessary powers to investigate.”
Khoo said the decision by the special tribunal yesterday was “appalling to say the least”, by implying that the former EC members can escape justice by just resigning.
“I reiterate that the former EC members must be investigated in one way or another. Only then will we be able to ascertain the core problem with out electoral system and to then reform it,” he added.
The tribunal was announced by Putrajaya on October 17 last year to seek the removal of the six EC members, namely Tan Sri Othman Mahmood, Datuk Md Yusop Mansor, Datuk Abdul Aziz Khalidin, Datuk Sulaiman Narawi and Datuk Leo Chong Cheong, and Datuk K. Bala Singam.
The next day, all the members then resigned from their positions and opted for early retirement, with Bala following suit on November 27.
Do you know who is this man?
He is Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman, a vice president of Party Pribumi, and Mahathir's trusted henchman. His contribution to Mahathir's political longevity was during his (Abdul Rashid's) position as Chairman of Malaysia's Election Commission (EC).
Among his many other Civil Service jobs, the following were his position in EC:
1979 - 95: EC Secretary
1997 - 00: EC deputy chairman
2000 - 08: EC chairman
He was involved in 6 general elections in Malaysia. And the six Election Commissioners who had served during the 14th General Election (GE14), being brought before a tribunal to be tried for misconduct, were all under him - though he resigned in July 2008.
When he was EC Chairman, Malaysiakini (11 March 2004) reported that:
... the first major change that the EC chairman introduced was the campaigning period of the coming polls. He reduced it to only eight days - the shortest in the history of Malaysian elections.
Asked whether the campaigning period was too short, Abdul Rashid said it did not need to be long because the voters already had a sound knowledge of the political parties (Star , March 6). Ironically, the Star reported on the very same day that most voters do not know their elected reps nor the parties of their MPs! Alas, Abdul Rashid does not seem to have a sound knowledge of the voters.
The following day the Star quotes him as urging political parties not to politicise the number of days allocated for campaigning in the elections. "What has been decided best reflects that democracy is alive and well," he says. "We don't care what the conflicting parties think ... what we care about is what the rakyat say."
If Rashid knows when is the next general election, then only one person could have told him — the Prime Minister himself.
Abdullah should speak up whether he had told Rashid when the general election would be held to end the anger building up among the MCA Ministers and leaders.
Instead of creating a furore among Barisan Nasional leaders with his tease that he knew more than them about the date for the next general election, Rashid would have done a greater service to the nation and greater justice to his job as Election Commission Chairman to put in place an electoral system which is clean, free and fair, covering all aspects of elections
While still on the subject of general elections, which on Nov. 10 brought tens of thousand protestors to the streets of Kuala Lumpur to demand for fairer election, I must say that I find the Election Commission chairman, Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman’s Nov. 15 statement intriguing.
His “I knew when the general election would be held but I won’t tell” statement to the Press was in bad taste and out of place. It amounted to mocking the public and made the status of the commission undignified.
His statement can be read as an indication that the commission is in collusion with the government because only the government or, to be precise, the Prime Minister determines the date of the election.
Abdul Rashid’s statement has the effect of confirming the Bersih movement’s claim that the government parties have an unfair advantage over the oppositions and that the electoral process lacks transparency.
No less significant is the fact that the EC chairman’s statement contradicted the stance of the Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. When asked during the recent Umno General Assembly, Abdullah said he was yet to receive an inspiration on the date of the election.
For the record, “belum dapat ihlam” or haven’t yet received the inspiration has been Abdullah’s standard response to many urgent and difficult questions.
So who is lying? Or to be more palatable, who is not telling the truth – the PM who is still waiting for inspiration or the talkative EC chairman who said he knows the date but will not tell?
Bad information management and loose talks by a high official like Abdul Rashid can only lead to one thing – giving the Bersih campaigners more ammunitions to shot at the government.
And eff-ing worse, now that Abdul Rashid is in Parti Pribumi, again with his old 'Boss', it's outright bizarre and preposterous bullshit that he has been appointed as chairman of the Electoral Reform Committee (ERC), akin to appointing a fox to re-organise the chicken coop.
A Bersatu Pribumi vice-president got a roasting from critics unhappy with his call that government contracts be given to division chiefs so that they have resources to win elections.
The remarks by Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman party annual general meeting on Sunday led to Bersih 2.0 questioning if the Pakatan Harapan government and Bersatu specifically are committed to electoral and institutional reforms.
Bersih 2.0 said it was “shocking” for Abdul Rashid to suggest that the party use its position to channel resources and projects to division chiefs so that they can win elections “by hook or by crook”.
“Has Abdul Rashid and also the cheering delegates forgotten so quickly why Malaysians rejected the previous Umno/Barisan Nasional government just seven months ago?
“The abuse of power by the ruling elites through the channelling of government resources, corruption and political patronage was such a revolting stench that Malaysians united to say ‘enough is enough’ on May 9,” it said yesterday.
Of course, as to be expected, the DAP has been blardy quiet about all above.
The Kota Melaka MP also urged for a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on the matter, saying it will provide the best avenue.
“First, the parliament must do its duty as a check and balance mechanism. I will be writing to the Dewan Rakyat speaker to propose the setting up of a special select committee on elections in order to investigate the former EC members,” Khoo said in a statement.
“Second, the attorney general and prime minister should further advise the Yang di-Pertuan Agong that a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) is now necessary. The RCI will be the best platform because it will have the fresh mandate and necessary powers to investigate.”
Khoo said the decision by the special tribunal yesterday was “appalling to say the least”, by implying that the former EC members can escape justice by just resigning.
“I reiterate that the former EC members must be investigated in one way or another. Only then will we be able to ascertain the core problem with out electoral system and to then reform it,” he added.
The tribunal was announced by Putrajaya on October 17 last year to seek the removal of the six EC members, namely Tan Sri Othman Mahmood, Datuk Md Yusop Mansor, Datuk Abdul Aziz Khalidin, Datuk Sulaiman Narawi and Datuk Leo Chong Cheong, and Datuk K. Bala Singam.
The next day, all the members then resigned from their positions and opted for early retirement, with Bala following suit on November 27.
Do you know who is this man?
He is Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman, a vice president of Party Pribumi, and Mahathir's trusted henchman. His contribution to Mahathir's political longevity was during his (Abdul Rashid's) position as Chairman of Malaysia's Election Commission (EC).
Among his many other Civil Service jobs, the following were his position in EC:
1979 - 95: EC Secretary
1997 - 00: EC deputy chairman
2000 - 08: EC chairman
He was involved in 6 general elections in Malaysia. And the six Election Commissioners who had served during the 14th General Election (GE14), being brought before a tribunal to be tried for misconduct, were all under him - though he resigned in July 2008.
When he was EC Chairman, Malaysiakini (11 March 2004) reported that:
... the first major change that the EC chairman introduced was the campaigning period of the coming polls. He reduced it to only eight days - the shortest in the history of Malaysian elections.
Asked whether the campaigning period was too short, Abdul Rashid said it did not need to be long because the voters already had a sound knowledge of the political parties (Star , March 6). Ironically, the Star reported on the very same day that most voters do not know their elected reps nor the parties of their MPs! Alas, Abdul Rashid does not seem to have a sound knowledge of the voters.
The following day the Star quotes him as urging political parties not to politicise the number of days allocated for campaigning in the elections. "What has been decided best reflects that democracy is alive and well," he says. "We don't care what the conflicting parties think ... what we care about is what the rakyat say."
Lim Kit Siang himself wrote in his blog on 17 November 2007 (extracts):
Rashid had told reporters after the launch of the state-level Election Commission briefing and course for returning officers and assistant returning officers in Malacca two days ago that the next general election will be conducted after the end of the state-level series of Election Commission courses which concludes on January 29.
If Rashid knows when is the next general election, then only one person could have told him — the Prime Minister himself.
Abdullah should speak up whether he had told Rashid when the general election would be held to end the anger building up among the MCA Ministers and leaders.
Instead of creating a furore among Barisan Nasional leaders with his tease that he knew more than them about the date for the next general election, Rashid would have done a greater service to the nation and greater justice to his job as Election Commission Chairman to put in place an electoral system which is clean, free and fair, covering all aspects of elections
Even Pak Kadir Jasin posted in his blog (18 Nov 2007) (extracts):
His “I knew when the general election would be held but I won’t tell” statement to the Press was in bad taste and out of place. It amounted to mocking the public and made the status of the commission undignified.
His statement can be read as an indication that the commission is in collusion with the government because only the government or, to be precise, the Prime Minister determines the date of the election.
Abdul Rashid’s statement has the effect of confirming the Bersih movement’s claim that the government parties have an unfair advantage over the oppositions and that the electoral process lacks transparency.
No less significant is the fact that the EC chairman’s statement contradicted the stance of the Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. When asked during the recent Umno General Assembly, Abdullah said he was yet to receive an inspiration on the date of the election.
For the record, “belum dapat ihlam” or haven’t yet received the inspiration has been Abdullah’s standard response to many urgent and difficult questions.
So who is lying? Or to be more palatable, who is not telling the truth – the PM who is still waiting for inspiration or the talkative EC chairman who said he knows the date but will not tell?
Bad information management and loose talks by a high official like Abdul Rashid can only lead to one thing – giving the Bersih campaigners more ammunitions to shot at the government.
And eff-ing worse, now that Abdul Rashid is in Parti Pribumi, again with his old 'Boss', it's outright bizarre and preposterous bullshit that he has been appointed as chairman of the Electoral Reform Committee (ERC), akin to appointing a fox to re-organise the chicken coop.
Indeed, there were numerous calls to remove him from heading the committee, especially following his call in Parti Pribumi for government contracts to be given to division chiefs.
The Star Online reported (extracts):
The Star Online reported (extracts):
The remarks by Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman party annual general meeting on Sunday led to Bersih 2.0 questioning if the Pakatan Harapan government and Bersatu specifically are committed to electoral and institutional reforms.
Bersih 2.0 said it was “shocking” for Abdul Rashid to suggest that the party use its position to channel resources and projects to division chiefs so that they can win elections “by hook or by crook”.
“Has Abdul Rashid and also the cheering delegates forgotten so quickly why Malaysians rejected the previous Umno/Barisan Nasional government just seven months ago?
“The abuse of power by the ruling elites through the channelling of government resources, corruption and political patronage was such a revolting stench that Malaysians united to say ‘enough is enough’ on May 9,” it said yesterday.
Of course, as to be expected, the DAP has been blardy quiet about all above.
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Chye-Chye, focus on your Soduko But Papa, numerals are too difficult lah |
Do we now know why the EC (pre this government's rule but some if not most were under Mahathir's previous regime) will not be investigated for election naughtiness?
dap really know how to share work, no minister one continue blowing trumpet, the minister one can only suck dick.
ReplyDeleteAFTER HIS DEATH, Karpal Singh was found innocent of sedition by the Federal Court, after earlier convictions and failed appeals in the lower courts. The final appeal to the Federal Court was by his family so that his reputation remained intact after his death and his widow could receive his pension. Justice Was Done.
ReplyDeleteIf the Federal Court can hear the case of a DEAD person why can't a Tribunal hear the case six people who merely resigned from their positions? If found guilty of something serious they should lose their pensions.