Anwar: Rejection of minority report a ploy to avoid electoral reform

Parliametary opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia's refusal today to allow a motion to attach a minority report to the findings of the parliamentary select committee on electoral reforms smacked of the government's effort to cover up weaknesses in the electoral rolls.

According to Anwar , the minority report has shown concrete evidences that the electoral rolls were not clean as claimed, with some 42,000 voters whose names were not found on the National Registration Department's database.

"This is clearly (an act of) arrogance, denying space for us to explain and bowing to UMNO's demand. The minority report has shown that the Election Commission failed to guarantee rightful voters," Anwar told reporters at the parliament lobby joined by other Pakatan Rakyat members of parliament.

Pandikar had earlier disallowed the motion despite PR MPs citing a precedent in other Commonwealth parliaments on minority report.

Earlier, Pandikar sent out Gombak MP Azmin Ali, Kuala Selangor MP Dzulkefly Ahmad and Subang MP Sivarasa Rasiah, after the trio questioned the decision to reject the motion on minority report.

BN backbenchers earlier shouted "sodomy!" repeatedly when PR MPs refused to back down from their continous questioning. Eventually, the PSC report on electoral reforms was passed without debate, and without being attached with the minority report.

A 'monority report' refers to a dissenting report prepared by members of a parliamentary committee, who disagree with its official report. PR MPs are part of the PSC on electoral reforms.

-Harakahdaily