Polls reform: Rakyat certainly not fooled

'If the cabinet is sincere about electoral reform, it should concentrate on picking the low hanging fruits instead of trying to boil the ocean.'

PSC to go beyond Bersih's eight demands

Pemerhati: Minister in the PM's Department Nazri Abdul Aziz's statement that the PSC (parliamentary select committee) proceedings will come to a stop if snap polls are called strongly suggests that Umno and BN are indulging in a public relations exercise to try and fool the opposition and the people.

In the past, the BN has been winning elections by using several fraudulent and unfair strategies and it is highly unlikely that they would do anything to change that and jeopardise their chances.

In fact, recent evidence suggests that they have added a few more fraudulent strategies to the earlier ones to make sure that they do not lose the next elections.

Anonymous_5fb: I am not impressed. The PSC is lacking in sincerity. Here is the catch "However, the PSC proceedings will come to a stop if snap polls are called."

We all know, 13th GE is around the corner. By then, PSC is defunct. What good is it to go beyond Bersih's eight demands? Nazri, you can fool yourself, not us.

Quigonbond: No point sugarcoating the PSC to make it look really good when the cake will be thrown away at the dissolution of the current Parliament before their work is completed, and more importantly, reforms truly implemented.

For far too long, this has been a country that doesn't even implement proposals of royal commissions, and when implemented, are done either half heartedly or haphazardly.

No, this won't do. PSC must sit, and the solutions must be found to the satisfaction of the rakyat - all fully and credibly implemented. Then we can have our general elections.

If the general elections happen before that, then the rakyat is free to assume that the election will neither be free nor fair.

Anonymous_4031: On the surface, it appears that the BN government will look beyond the eight demands made by Bersih 2.0.

Since it is going to take many months (six months at least) to look into these, the general election may be held before the reforms are implemented. When that happens, the whole PSC will be disbanded. The test of sincerity is in the implementation of the reforms.

We would like to know what are the Bersih demands which will be implemented NOW. Indelible ink? Abolishing postal votes? Equal access to the media for all parties? Clean electoral rolls?
Hello: What is the point of the PSC going beyond the demands of Bersih 2.0, especially when there is no undertaking that the recommendations will be implemented before elections are called? This sounds more like a sop for the rakyat, NGOs and the opposition.

In the end, elections will be called before PSC makes its recommendations, if any (there is no guarantee it will adopt the Bersih demands), when its term ends. Further, in all probability, elections might even be called before its term ends.

Faz: Are we to believe these truer than true statements from Nazri? They are just too good to be true when a few weeks ago, the writing was on the wall that Umno-BN and the EC (Election Commission) would have none of the reforms.

Umno-BN and EC wouldn't do the about-turn unless something was afoot or they have found another escape clause. Beware of the snake with multiple heads.

Ghkok: First of all, it's meaningless to involve the BN in any committee to reform the electoral process.

It's like asking Sepp Blater to be involved in cleaning up Fifa, or asking Muammar Gaddafi to be involved in introducing clean elections in Libya.

As such, the PSC is meaningless. It doesn't makes sense with BN's involvement. I think most Malaysians will feel that its best for Pakatan Rakyat to stay away from it.

Onyourtoes: PSC aside, we should make the EC, NRD (National Registration Department) and the police work harder.

EC must explain, one by one, all the discrepancies highlighted recently. The EC must come up with measures to resolve the discrepancies and to give an assurance that the same discrepancies will not happen again.

NRD must counter check the names in the electoral rolls. NRD must provide the list of recent citizens (say the past five years) - who they are, their countries of origin before becoming citizens of Malaysia, and their religions.

Put everything on the table and let the whole country scrutinise. We don't trust you fellows, period. Contrary to what EC chairman said about 0.0001% mistake, I think giving just one citizenship by mistake is already too many.

Tkc: If the cabinet is sincere about electoral reform, it should concentrate on picking the low hanging fruits instead of trying to boil the ocean.

The low hanging fruits are:

1) clean the electoral roll
2) use indelible ink
3) minimum 21 days campaign period

Somehow, one cannot help but being cynical about the actual agenda of the PSC - which is to buy time so that the current regime can scrape through in the next election.

MySecret: "Regardless of (whether or not) they participate, (the PSC) will go on because we also want free and fair elections - but it seems they don't." - Nazri.

It looks like Nazri is still in 'lalaland'. He refuses to understand that we do not trust the government. We intend to take back our country from these pretenders, and he says we should 'trust' them. You got to be joking. Your days are numbered.

3com: Just give us the timeframe for implementing the eight Bersih's demands. - Malaysiakini

Malay: The Government always claims IT LISTENS TO THE WISHES OF THE RAKYAT, but seem to do the opposite. The rakyat wants an INDEPENDENT COMMITTEE comprising of ordinary citizens of various races to see into polls reforms and not by BN/Opposition leaders. Will this materialise?