The Election Commission has provided another example of its craven subservience to serve Umno interests in fixing the simultaneous nomination and polling dates for the Bukit Gantang parliamentary seat in Perak and the Bukit Selambau state assembly seat in Kedah on March 29 and April 7 respectively.
Clearly, the fractious and internecine Umno party elections until March 28 had been the primary consideration of the Election Commission when deciding on the two by-election dates, so that the by-election campaign for the two constituencies will be held after the Umno party elections and Datuk Seri Najib Razak has officially taken over UMNO and become the sixth Prime Minister of Malaysia.
But these are the very considerations which an independent and self-respecting Election Commission has no business to take into account when fixing election dates, as it has only reinforced strong public perceptions that the Election Commission is a mere Umno tool at the beck-and-call of the top Umno leadership.
The Election Commission has made dubious history in the fixing of the election dates for the Bukit Gantang and Bukit Selambau by-elections, stretching to the constitutional limit of the 60 days when they should be filled from the date of vacancy.
The by-elections of the Bukit Gantang and Bukit Selambau constituencies will be held on the 57th day from their vacancy, as compared to the 27th day for the Permatang Pauh by-election and the 51st day for the Kuala Terengganu by-election.
In his six weeks as the new Election Commission Chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof had taken two decisions which have further undermined public confidence in the independence, professionalism and integrity of the Election Commission as they clearly serve Umno’s political agenda – the unconstitutional rejection of the Perak Speaker’s decision on the resignation of two PKR state assemblymen/executive councilors resulting in two state assembly vacancies (facilitating Najib’s illegal and unconstitutional grab for power in Perak) and today’s decision to fix the by-election dates calculated to best serve the political interests of Umno.
The Election Commission should reconsider to fix earlier by-election dates to demonstrate that it is not beholden to any political party’s dictates – even coming from Umno!
#1 by pjboy on Friday, 13 February 2009 - 10:41 pm
The EC has no consideration that both empty seat mean there is no MP serving the constituencies & rakyat until the by-election dates. What is the logical reason for setting the dates so far apart while KT & PP were hasten in respect to current by-elections.
#2 by Taxidriver on Friday, 13 February 2009 - 11:03 pm
Longer time frame to hold the two by- elections will allow Najib/UNMO to make better preparations. Passport fee will be reduced, petrol and diesel will be cheaper, electric/water bill will be lowered, kuils, temples chinese and tamil schools will be given donations,…… and the list will go on and on. Najib cannot to lose these 2 by-elections. The rakyat must be made to change to have a favourable image of the new Malaysian PM by whatever means. And, who knows, the 5 Hindraf ISA detainees will be released before the elections to buy over Indian voters. WILL Najib SUCCEED???
#3 by Taxidriver on Friday, 13 February 2009 - 11:07 pm
Najib cannot afford to lose these 2 by- elections.
#4 by shadow on Friday, 13 February 2009 - 11:15 pm
This is my DREAM and wildest wish!
If PR is in power at the federal level;
The PM : DS Mohd. Nizar
The DPM: DAP and PKR (YB Lim Guan Eng and PKR…)
Senior Advicers: DSAI, YB Lim Kit Siang, and YB Hadi Awang
Spiritual Leader: Tok Guru Nik Aziz
S. Legal Advicer:YB Karpal Singh
#5 by alaneth on Friday, 13 February 2009 - 11:24 pm
# shadow Says:
Today at 23: 15.40 (6 minutes ago)
This is my DREAM and wildest wish!
If PR is in power at the federal level;
The PM : DS Mohd. Nizar
The DPM: DAP and PKR (YB Lim Guan Eng and PKR…)
Senior Advicers: DSAI, YB Lim Kit Siang, and YB Hadi Awang
Spiritual Leader: Tok Guru Nik Aziz
S. Legal Advicer:YB Karpal Singh
Where is Anwar Ibrahim’s position then???
#6 by alaneth on Friday, 13 February 2009 - 11:31 pm
# shadow Says:
This is my Alternative Dream if PR takes over…
The PM : DS Anwar Ibrahim
The DPM: YB Lim Guan Eng & an Indian Candidate fr PKR/DAP or another position for DS Nizar
Senior Advisers: YB Lim Kit Siang and YB Karpal Singh
Chief Mufti/Ulama : Tok Guru Nik Aziz
Opposition Leader : DS Najib
Adviser to opposition leader : Hamid Albar
#7 by NOT DUMB MALAYSIAN on Friday, 13 February 2009 - 11:40 pm
EC IS JUST A WING OF UMNO.
WHY BOTHER GOING THROUGH THECHARADE AND RIGMAROLE OF APPOINTING THE EC WHEN IT IS APPARENT TO ALL MALAYSIANS AND THE INTERNATIONAL MEDIA THAT THEY ARE JUST SUB-SERVIENT TOOL OF UMNO.
I AGREE THAT SDR LIM SHOULD NOT BE WORRIED ABOUT THE PATENT SUBSERVIANCE, BUM SUCKING ROLE PLAYED AND STILL PLAYING BY THE EC AS JUST AN UMNO TOOL. THE PEOPLE CANNOT BE FOOLED. COME BKT GANTANG AND SELAMBAU, THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE WILL SHAKE MALAYSIA. AND CONSIGN UNMNO TO THE DUNGHEAP OF HISTORY. THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE SHALL PREVAIL.
#8 by limkamput on Friday, 13 February 2009 - 11:49 pm
Khir Toyo ‘picked up’ by Police over aborted protest in Penang.
Is this to increase his popularity to win UMNO party election? What other tricks have they got?
#9 by limkamput on Friday, 13 February 2009 - 11:53 pm
It does not take a rocket scientist to realise that constituencies have been drawn to benefit the incumbent party. Boundaries are more important than dates. Undergrad2.
It does not matter anymore about the boundaries of constituencies. The whole country is against UMNO-BN. They can draw and redraw and fix whatever dates, they are going to lose big time.
#10 by Taxidriver on Saturday, 14 February 2009 - 12:07 am
This time Najib has made a serious misculculation by having the by-elections only after and not before the UNMO party elections. The party will be in disarray, caused by in-fighting among the victors and the vanquished. PR only have to stay united and campaign hard to win. Dissatisfied UMNO members and the ghost of Altantuya will do the rest.
#11 by Taxidriver on Saturday, 14 February 2009 - 12:11 am
Correction: …..misculculation to have ……
#12 by dawsheng on Saturday, 14 February 2009 - 2:06 am
I have a bad feeling about what’s going to happen to Malaysia.
#13 by Taxidriver on Saturday, 14 February 2009 - 2:17 am
dawsheng,
Did you mean you have a feeling something bad is going to happen to Malaysia?
#14 by dawsheng on Saturday, 14 February 2009 - 3:47 am
Yes, something like that.
#15 by anna brella on Saturday, 14 February 2009 - 4:59 am
Why is the independent Election Commission located within the Government’s HQ premises of Putrajaya?
What does that indicate in terms of good assurance and the inference of that cast-iron guarantee of independence?
“Imagine Power To The People” John Lennon.
#16 by undergrad2 on Saturday, 14 February 2009 - 6:31 am
limkamput Says:
Yesterday at 23: 53.00
It does not take a rocket scientist to realise that constituencies have been drawn to benefit the incumbent party. Boundaries are more important than dates. Undergrad2.
It does not matter anymore about the boundaries of constituencies. The whole country is against UMNO-BN. They can draw and redraw and fix whatever dates, they are going to lose big time.
——————-
Hello my good friend!
PR wins only to lose through party hopping! All this only makes instant millionaires out of DAP ADUNS and UMNO ‘moles’. Adoi…. Are you sure there is no grand conspiracy here??
#17 by monsterball on Saturday, 14 February 2009 - 8:04 am
Yes!! Dream on.
Martin Luther King gave his life dreaming….and it came true.
We must keep dreaming Malaysia will be completely free from corrupted tyrants..and live in the blessed land ….plenty for everyone.
We must keep dreaming….as Malaysia is one of the very few countries in the world….no need to fear recession periods….in the land of plenty natural resources..no need high taxes..high petrol prices..high food prices!
UMNO knows it…that’s why they can steal and steal…yet we can survive.
No matter how much they steal….plenty is still available..but there is a limit and a danger point….to everything….and the danger point is now.
Don’t change government…Malaysians will be poorest citizens in Asia…soon….all wealth sucked up by UMNO crooks!!
Once we were told….price of petrol had to go up ..sky high..to prevent S’poreans and Thais coming in to fill their tanks up.
UMNO always have smart reasons to fool Malaysians.
Now ..prices are getting much lower than S’pore and Thailand….did we hear UMNO yelling? They know they cannot fool Malaysians on oil prices..yet still doing it by way of electricity bills..and oil prices…still much too high.
They need to keep doing that…to fatten Petronas….and take the billions to make projects with high commissions for UMNO party selected members.
They need to keep feeding those UMNO crooks…as they are much bigger crooks themselves. Stop that.they will loose thousands of votes.
Yes…we must keep dreaming ….to wake up those feeling.. insecured ..almost all UMNO Muslims..not to fear …and throw UMNO away…to depend on their god gifted brain and body…like a normal human being.
We must keep dreaming to live in a country…for the people….by the people and with the people type of government.
We must dram to have a complete corrupt free government.
While we keep dreaming…we must always be brave to expose corruptions….by anyone…to and throw them out with our votes.
We must keep dreaming…..Malaysians will vote for change of government…and slowly…learn to vote for a person…..and not the party anymore.
All our dreams should focus citizens…proudly calling everyone Malaysians….and then…we have ONLY Malaysian schools and Universities.
People are not ready yet..because UMNO love to play race politics….yet yelling for unity.
UMNO’s unity is simply full of shit.
We ca never be united …under UMNO.
That’s how they succeed…..race and religion politics. How can that have unity?
Dream on …..for a Malaysian Malaysia.
#18 by yhsiew on Saturday, 14 February 2009 - 8:44 am
//Taxidriver Says:
Today at 00: 07.27 (8 hours ago)
This time Najib has made a serious misculculation by having the by-elections only after and not before the UNMO party elections.//
====================================================
Come April 7 Malaysia will have slid into recession and unemployment will have soared to new heights.
Then PR has every good reason to blame Najis for power craze spending too much time in politics and doing too little to save the country from global economic meltdown despite repeated warnings from the Opposition and experts.
#19 by limkamput on Saturday, 14 February 2009 - 9:18 am
Let UMNO shout ketuanan
For the rakyat knows to whom the ketuanan serves
Let UMNO shout kedaulatan Tuanku
For the royalties know it is so phony
Let UMNO shout Melayu bersatu
For rakyat know Malaysians need unity
Let UMNO shout demi agama dan bangsa
For rakyat know too well what UMNO really worships
Let UMNO shout berjiwa rakyat
For rakyat know where the government’s allocations go
Let UMNO shout pembangunan negara
For rakyat know they have paid in full with every drop of their blood
Let UMNO shout visi and missi negara
For rakyat know it has embarked on a journey of parochialism and backwardness
Let UMNO shout going global
For rakyat know they are going nowhere
Let UMNO shout keluhuran perlembagaan dan kedaulatan undang undang
For the rakyat know it was a power grab
Let UMNO shout respect the Rukun Negara
For the rakyat know who have not done so
#20 by chiakchua on Saturday, 14 February 2009 - 9:21 am
The EC chairman is stupid; he should have been promoted to the position by carrying balls of someone!
‘Tuesday is ok, if one is committed to vote, he can take leave’; what bloody nonsense is this? Why put extra burden on voters? Why not on Sat or Sunday at least.
Fixing the voting date on April 9th and said not because of UMNO GA, you think all of us are half-asleep like AB?
This is one of the many unfair practices by UMNOputras-EC-The whole civil service-policfe-army in every GE to win the election ‘unfairly’, That’s why I think there is nothing wrong to lure BN MP and ADUN to cross over because the voters had been misled!
#21 by Bigjoe on Saturday, 14 February 2009 - 9:31 am
Abdul Aziz confused me when replying on this issue that the date was fixed to so that campaign period is not too long. Isn’t it about as long as it can be given the 60 day limit as required by law?
Its amazing how convulated the excuses get that they themselves can confused.
Now until UMNO GA, UMNO candidates are going into full swing – the best thing to happen for PR is monitor the candidates campaigns are all level including the day or UMNO GA. Every dirt counts and should be investigated and there always are. Pit one candidate against the other, shake the tree and fruits shall fall for PR to feed on.
At UMNO GA, which is always lively and full of hormone charged speech, encourage the big mouth to make a name for themselves. PR can use another keris incident about right now…
#22 by anak_malaysia on Saturday, 14 February 2009 - 9:42 am
well, what is Anwar plan seeing Najib getting to the top post? i dun think he will sit there and wait for the best seat to see the box office movie roll out. Is the whole episode of Perak downfall is a bigger trap set by the PKR? You may see the Nasarudin jumping from UMNO to PKR and back to UMNO. I believe there is a bigger picture rather the bait set by Najib to fish the useless candidate from PKR and DAP. I find hilarious seeing UMNO is interested on PR rejected items.
#23 by ktteokt on Saturday, 14 February 2009 - 10:00 am
After losing GE12, PP by-election and KT by-election, everyone knows what the trend is like! So to say, any by-elections thereafter will be detrimental to BN and BN knows this very well. That is why they have to resort to “snatching” power in Perak by conspiring with the Sultan!
These two coming by-elections will see BN/UMNO lose their pants! Good Luck, PR!
#24 by computation on Saturday, 14 February 2009 - 10:58 am
“These two coming by-elections will see BN/UMNO lose their pants! Good Luck, PR!” ktteokt
and their briefs!
#25 by sotong on Saturday, 14 February 2009 - 11:36 am
If BN win, I will not eat for 1 and 2 weeks……..I would not go as far as limkamput of one and 3 months respectively……involving food, my will power is weak.
#26 by Ling Mazen on Saturday, 14 February 2009 - 2:09 pm
It’s wise not to be overconfident and arrogant whenever there is a contest.
#27 by Ling Mazen on Saturday, 14 February 2009 - 2:25 pm
I noticed that a great number of voters(30% of all seats) did not turn out to vote in the 308 GE.
Hope PR will work hard to woo the 30% who did not turn out for the last election and get their support to PR side.
#28 by undergrad2 on Saturday, 14 February 2009 - 9:27 pm
How did you notice?? Such skills are rare.
#29 by lopez on Sunday, 15 February 2009 - 10:52 am
arrogance at its peak, as usual
and it is proven on 38 that their arrogance has awoken the people
#30 by limkamput on Sunday, 15 February 2009 - 11:02 am
Mosterball says: “They need to keep feeding those UMNO crooks…as they are much bigger crooks themselves. Stop that.they will loose thousands of votes.”
See the contradiction and the moronic logic here. A moron is what a moron does, you just can avoid that.
#31 by limkamput on Sunday, 15 February 2009 - 11:15 am
Hello my good friend! PR wins only to lose through party hopping! All this only makes instant millionaires out of DAP ADUNS and UMNO ‘moles’. Adoi…. Are you sure there is no grand conspiracy here?? Undergr*d2
That is why I said DAP and PR must be very selective when choosing potential candidates. They must rethink strategies. There is no need for low level party activists anymore. These are the ones who are usually greedy, naïve and willing to sell their mums for RM10.00. I will propose to Sdr Lim to let you, Jeffery and Godfather be potential PR candidates in the coming general election. For me, I will consider if they invite me!!!
There are conspiracies everywhere. We just have to minimise it. This is all power game. Once the momentum swings to PR side, the wakil from BN will queue up to join PR in droves, knowing their despicable mentality.
#32 by Joshua Tan Kok Hauw on Sunday, 15 February 2009 - 11:54 am
I have totally lost my hope on the new chairman of EC which has become the 14th component party of BN.
Sooner or later, MACC(SPRM) will be given the status of 15th component party of BN or it may have already been the member of BN.
#33 by anak_malaysia on Sunday, 15 February 2009 - 12:46 pm
my theory is pretty simple, Najib probably is part of the larger ploy set by the PR. By baiting Najib into believing that he can wrestle back Perak for BN, behind the scene it create a worst image of BN and Najib. See how the rakyat despise BN. You will see PR will win bigger in Gantang and Selambau. BN image as rakyat savior is sinking faster that Titanic, if you notice it. PR probably is baiting Najib so that he have some form of arrogance and confidence to hold the snap election sometime end of this year or early next year and thus, PR will be able to trash BN once and for all.
#34 by shortie kiasu on Sunday, 15 February 2009 - 5:30 pm
EC were never seen to be fair and above politics of the ruling BN government.
It would be hard time to change their mentality because they are appointed by the BN Government.
PR should start concentrating on the works at hand, to win the election aand show to all that whatever EC may try to influence, the power lies with the people.
#35 by chiakchua on Sunday, 15 February 2009 - 5:39 pm
Beat the UMNOputras with bigger than Tan Lian Hue’s majority in 2004 to show Najis what Malaysians think of him! Go for it!