My first reaction yesterday to the announcement by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak of a parliamentary select committee on electoral reforms is to welcome the proposal as it is a vindication of the 709 Bersih rally for free and fair elections – provided it is a genuine and sincere attempt to clean up the various defects and flaws in the electoral system.
However, the first shocker of the PSC on electoral reforms is the report that the Parliamentary Select Committee would have its first meeting tomorrow to discuss “everything that needs to be done” and reach a consensus on the matter.
How can this be when the Parliamentary Select Committee has not yet been formed and the respective Pakatan Rakyat parties have not been consulted and their agreement sought with regard to the PSC’s terms of reference and its membership?
A Parliamentary Select Committee can only be formed by Parliament, which is not in session and will only convene on October 3 for the start of the 2012 budget meeting.
In view of the importance and urgency of the matter, an emergency meeting of Parliament is fully justified. Will the Prime Minister convene an emergency meeting of Parliament to approve the establishment of the Parliamentary Select Committee on electoral reforms?
The Barisan Nasional government should not act unilaterally and arbitrarily in the establishment of the PSC on electoral reforms but must fully consult and secure the agreement of the respective PR parties on important matters like the terms of reference, scope of review, time-frame and membership of the PSC.
Bersih 2.0 should be fully involved in the PSC review and recommendations for electoral reforms.
There should be firm undertaking by the Prime Minister of full co-operation by the Elections Commission and all relevant departments with the Parliamentary Select Committee and that there would be no sabotage or subterfuge of any kind by any government department using “official secrets”, “national security” or other excuses to stone-wall requests for information.
This was what happened to the previous Parliamentary Select Committee on Integrity which was formed in the previous Parliament. Although the then Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawai agreed with its formation, the Select Committee which was chaired by a Minister, Tan Sri Bernard Dompok met hostile reception from government departments when they were asked “sensitive” information, resulting in the resignation of the Chairman and the Select Committee producing no report when Parliament was dissolved in February 2008.
This time, Najib must give categorical assurance that the report and recommendations of the Parliamentary Select Committee on electoral reforms would be completed, made public and implemented by the government and Parliament.
Most important of all, Najib must also give the categorical assurance that the electoral reforms proposed by the Parliamentary Select Committee would implemented in time for the next general elections.
The bona fide and credibility of the proposal for a Parliamentary Select Committee on electoral reforms would be thrown immediately into question if the PSC is formed unilaterally and arbitrarily without full consultation and agreement of the respective PR parties and if the various assurances that it would be a serious exercise are not forthcoming.
#1 by Peter on Tuesday, 16 August 2011 - 11:40 am
From day one i never ever trusted these guys in EC. Just a bunch of BN/UMNO men who will ensure all elections, irrespective favor their boses in UMNO/BN.
So, there are clones in the EC (Election Commission) database, the NRD (National Registration Department) database, and the Umno database. It is reasonable to imagine that the staff of EC and NRD have no reason to introduce clones into their database.
Think about it – why would they want to incur work to key in these clones and file all the documentation as well as produce the identity cards? Unless, of course, if they were “instructed” to perform the task.
Who “instructed” them? How long have they been doing this? Out of the three bodies – EC, NRD, Umno – which body has the most to gain from the introduction of clones? Which one will gain power from this exercise?
Enough is enough. The rakyat of Malaysia call for a royal commission of inquiry.
#2 by Cinapek on Tuesday, 16 August 2011 - 11:47 am
Why am I not surprised? A leopard does not change its spots. Najib has proven time and again his words cannot be trusted and he does not practise what he preaches. He is not even prepared to support his own 1Malaysia rhetoric when asked if he is prepared to claim he is Malaysian first and Malay second.
He also seems to have a vengeful character (or is he put up to this by someone dominating him?). Look at Perak. He wanted revenge for the allegations made at the Permatang Pauh byelection about his involvement with a certain C4ed Mongolian lady and so he went out of his way to grab Perak by hook or by crook. And we all know where Sodomy II case and Datuk Trio video came from. It smacks of a revenge attack.
Najib suffered the loss of a huge amount of credibility and support over the Bersih 2 rally both internally (read UMNO) and externally to the extent he wants revenge. This offer to set up a bipartisan panel to review electoral reforms after all the virulent opposition and the harsh actions taken by him and his cousin, it is totally out of character to make an offer such as this hence it must be viewed with the deepest suspicion. The Opposition should be careful of being baited and stung.
#3 by wanderer on Tuesday, 16 August 2011 - 11:54 am
Are you surprised Yb Lim? Words coming out from a Master spinner and a lying jerk should be treated like listening to a tune coming from a broken record. A man who stole someone’s wife has no credibilty…trust me!
#4 by monsterball on Tuesday, 16 August 2011 - 12:28 pm
First he announced the committee will be selected from both sides….which Anwar responded it was a ploy to take the heat off from the EC Chief bombarded left and right by Ambiga.
And he has done it again…..lying and twisting.
His so call electoral reforms committee…not one oppositions in it as promised by Najib.
#5 by k1980 on Tuesday, 16 August 2011 - 12:36 pm
//The Parliamentary Select Committee would have its first meeting tomorrow to discuss “everything that needs to be done” and reach a consensus on the matter. How can this be when the Parliamentary Select Committee has not yet been formed and the respective Pakatan Rakyat parties have not been consulted.. //
Jibbi explains—“We meet and form the committee tumolo lah. No need to hurry one, I have semua members’ names olredi, 10 from umno and 0 from PR. The meeting will be selesai in 10 minit. We will send you the invitation to attend the meeting once it is over.”
#6 by goldeneye on Tuesday, 16 August 2011 - 12:45 pm
Kit, not just hostile reception from government departments but NRD refused to appear before Bernard Dompok’s Committee who then quit as Chairman.
#7 by Winston on Tuesday, 16 August 2011 - 12:58 pm
That’s why it’s all the more imperative that PR must
go for Putrajaya in the next GE.
#8 by ktteokt on Tuesday, 16 August 2011 - 1:30 pm
You think Najis is sincere in reforming the EC? If he was, he would not have ordered his PDRM boys to attack the rally on July 9! By attacking a peaceful rally held for the purpose of clean elections, Najis has SILENTLY and by CONDUCT admitted that HE IS DIRTY! So, now all of a sudden he is taking the initiative to draft REFORMS for the EC but it is already in the ELEVENTH HOUR!
#9 by the reds on Tuesday, 16 August 2011 - 2:04 pm
I was wondering who still has faith in our government?
#10 by boh-liao on Tuesday, 16 August 2011 - 2:42 pm
Ha, ha, ha, dis is what NR’s “Looks good, sounds good” but really skru U up tactics mah
Everything that needs to be done sudah done米已成饭, accept lor
#11 by dcasey on Tuesday, 16 August 2011 - 3:54 pm
Ready…get-set….go… and a loud bang is heard from the gun as Najib pulled the trigger. The PR soh-chais were just about to get up to make the dash on the 100m track when they saw their UMNO competitors in the select committee already crossing the finishing line.
#12 by Joshua on Tuesday, 16 August 2011 - 9:16 pm
It is another cheating game of BN/UMNO as this PSC is another rubber stamp.
Two earlier ones on National Integrity and national service chaired by Dr Mazimus and Illegal people chaired by Dompok were largely ignored by the Parliament when the reality was exposed.
So there we go again into silence mode.
#13 by sheriff singh on Tuesday, 16 August 2011 - 9:45 pm
The ‘Opposition’ MPs on the Select Committee comprises the six or seven ‘Independent’ MPs plus Ibrahim Ali.
That is what Najib ‘had in mind’. Like that stadium.
#14 by Joshua on Wednesday, 17 August 2011 - 9:21 pm
http://www.freemalaysiakini.com/?p=1464#comment-661
Don’t let select committee end up like Dompok’s
Since October 3 when the Parliament sits is so far away, it is only right now that a Royal Commission of Inquiry on EC be instituted now.
By then the RCI report can EC can be compiled in end of October, as the facts are always ready to be submitted by all parties concerned. RCI is based in Kuala Lumpur while PSC goes around the nation which may take quite sometimes.
If RCI is set up now, we have got the whole month of September and part October and the report could be ready sooner.
I will submit written one with an affidavit.