Tan Sri, the 'big joke' is on you

YOURSAY 'How dare Rashid claim that he had no evidence of electoral cheating during his term when most people were fully aware of it?'

Ex-EC chief: Ongoing study on indelible ink a 'big joke'
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/179751

Ferdtan: It has become a trend that when leaders have retired, or not working with the government, nor working with the so-called independent public institutions, that they finally see the light to speak with logic and the truth.

Suddenly, with time and age, they have regained their 'grey matters' that was lost when they were holding the high posts with authority. They could have make the difference and earned the respect of the rakyat by carried out their duties with fairness.

In fairness, credit must be given to the ex-Election Commission chief Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman for coming out to voice his opinion on indelible ink - giving his tacit support for its implementation.

At least, he has the conscience that most ex-government officials or leaders, like those recently joined the Perkasa, don't have. They still remain unrepentant.

Yap Wing Chun: Abdul Rashid, isn't the EC supposed to be an independent body - in particular, independent of the government - and therefore, not subject to any government influence nor decision to cancel the use of the indelible ink?

No wonder. Indeed, you cannot blame the public for having the perception that the EC is a tool of the governing party.

Dood: Why is it that it's only after they retire do they come out and issue some statement to the effect that they were actually the ‘good guys' and they had wanted to do so-and-so, but when they were in power or had the authority to effect change, they either sat quiet and watched wrongdoings happen or they themselves were happily supportive of such acts?

Nasi sudah jadi bubur (The rice has already become porridge).

Opah: I remember watching Abdul Rashid announce the March 2008 elections results live on TV3, in the early morning hours of March 9. He looked tired and angry, and he made a short announcement declaring that BN had won.

A reporter asked for more details about the results, he snapped: "My job is not to announce the results of the elections. My job is to announce that the government had won!"

I'm sure he meant to say it in some other way, but at that split second, he spoke from the heart. Yes, his job was to announce that the government had won.

Kgen: The withdrawal of indelible ink clearly shows that the EC is not independent but subject to the dictates of the ruling party. Without an independent body to conduct free and fair elections, we are not a democracy and never has been.

The ruling party can abuse and rob the country without any fear of losing power and hold fake elections every five years. We are no better than an Arab dictatorship.

Pity him: There is no need to explain. Just tell us who were the ‘rascals' who pressured you.

On the other hand, why were you scared to fight them? It's not worth the pension and status especially now that you attempt to repent. Your soul will haunt you for partly destroying the nation.

Clearwater: All that the ex-EC chief has revealed is that he lacked the courage and integrity to resign in protest in the indelible ink affair. What constitutional crisis if he had resigned then in 2008?

Because he did not stand up for his 'indelible' belief, he will be forever censured by voters.

Manjit Bhatia: How dare Rashid claim that he had no evidence of electoral cheating or fraud during his term as EC chief when most learned people and, I dare say, even ordinary people, were fully aware of it and had evidence of this?

Is he blind? Or is he pretending to be blind? I wonder what former PM Hussein Onn would have said were he alive today. Would it be a complete refutation of Abdul Rashid's amnesiac denial?

Ruben: I think it is a waste of time interviewing him as a lot of the electoral issues - Project IC and other abuses - happened during his time as EC chief.

He said he believes that democracy in Malaysia is still very much alive by virtue of the fact that we have had elections as stipulated.

We don't deny that, but the question is, were the electoral processes, the changes made and the running the actual elections themselves done in a fair and democratic manner?

I don't think so and that is what Bersih has been saying all along.

FairMind: When a person answers questions selectively on certain questions and "no comments" or "no knowledge or information" on the other questions, it tells us that the man is not to be trusted and he is hiding things.

He is just merely trying to justify the good of his own actions and not that of the nation.

SusahKes: Well, good for you, Rashid, coming out in the open and revealing some of the events behind the scene.

So you agree that what Umno did by backtracking against the use of indelible ink, was a joke. You also reveal that demand for reform only came from Pakatan Rakyat.

Further, I presume, due to a certain modicum of personal conviction coupled with conscience, you were prepared to resign.

So, what are you going to do today? Are you going to join the bandwagon for change, or are you going to sit back and enjoy your pension?

(Not a bad place to be, mind you, because the recent Auditor-General's Report revealed that Pensions Department has a knack for overpaying or paying dead people).

You intimate that the country is coming to a new era; the question is, what would you like to pass over to your children and their children? A country filled with the likes of Perkasa and corrupt crooks? Or one where civil liberty and social justice form its key pillars?

I trust your conscience would guide you. - Malaysiakini