Pakatan Rakyat members of the parliamentary select committee on electoral reform aim to pressure the Election Commission (EC) to implement reforms that can be implemented right away when the PSC sits for its fourth closed-door session today.
"We want the PSC to come up with a resolution to compel the EC to implement at least the indelible ink and advance voting proposals now.
“The EC says it takes two months just to purchase the ink. We don't want it to use lack of time as an excuse not to implement this before the next general election," Rasah MP Anthony Loke told a press conference at Parliament House yesterday.
Loke, who is one of three opposition representatives in the PSC, welcomed committee chief Maximus Johnity Ongkili’s announcement that the PSC interim report would be tabled in Parliament before it begins its public hearings tomorrow.
The DAP parliamentarian hopes that the indelible ink and advance voting proposals would also be included in the report.
Loke also called for military and police personnel to vote in the constituency they are stationed in when advanced voting replaces postal voting, since they would then be able to vote ahead of the actual election day.
Voting by those in the military and police force, he said, should be held outside of military bases and police stations, since there were concerns about pressure being applied on members of the uniformed service to vote for the ruling BN.
Public hearing kicks off tomorrow
Today’s meeting, which will be the PSC's last before it moves on to the public hearings stage tomorrow, will also see the National Registration Department and the EC questioned on the concerns that have been raised and the reforms proposed for the electoral roll.
"We hope that the NRD will be forthcoming and transparent with all the data that we require from it.
“Don't come before the PSC and say they don't have the information we require," said PAS Kubang Krian MP Mohd Hatta Ramli, who was also present at the press conference.
The EC has admitted to irregularities in its voter database, saying that some of those in the electoral rolls had questionable registration documents.
The dead and foreign nationals have also appeared on the voter lists, raising questions about claims by the EC and NRD that they are both linked on an online system which keep their data updated.
"We want the PSC to come up with a resolution to compel the EC to implement at least the indelible ink and advance voting proposals now.
“The EC says it takes two months just to purchase the ink. We don't want it to use lack of time as an excuse not to implement this before the next general election," Rasah MP Anthony Loke told a press conference at Parliament House yesterday.Loke, who is one of three opposition representatives in the PSC, welcomed committee chief Maximus Johnity Ongkili’s announcement that the PSC interim report would be tabled in Parliament before it begins its public hearings tomorrow.
The DAP parliamentarian hopes that the indelible ink and advance voting proposals would also be included in the report.
Loke also called for military and police personnel to vote in the constituency they are stationed in when advanced voting replaces postal voting, since they would then be able to vote ahead of the actual election day.
Voting by those in the military and police force, he said, should be held outside of military bases and police stations, since there were concerns about pressure being applied on members of the uniformed service to vote for the ruling BN.
Public hearing kicks off tomorrow
Today’s meeting, which will be the PSC's last before it moves on to the public hearings stage tomorrow, will also see the National Registration Department and the EC questioned on the concerns that have been raised and the reforms proposed for the electoral roll."We hope that the NRD will be forthcoming and transparent with all the data that we require from it.
“Don't come before the PSC and say they don't have the information we require," said PAS Kubang Krian MP Mohd Hatta Ramli, who was also present at the press conference.
The EC has admitted to irregularities in its voter database, saying that some of those in the electoral rolls had questionable registration documents.
The dead and foreign nationals have also appeared on the voter lists, raising questions about claims by the EC and NRD that they are both linked on an online system which keep their data updated.
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