EC says it again: We are powerless

The embattled leadership of the Election Commission said the 22 recommendations put forward by electoral reform parliamentary select committee are outside its jurisdiction, adding that implementing them would be time-consuming.

“In fact, many PSC recommendations require the approval from Federal government besides amending Federal constitution. So, many of these cannot be implemented before the 13th general election,” EC deputy chief Wan Ahmad Wan Omar told Malay daily Sinar Harian.

Wan Ahmad said some recommendations involved policy change which could be done by the Federal government.

“For example, a new election system, the automatic registration of voters who turn 20, all these required amendment in the Federal constitution because it involves policy changes,” he said.

Wan Ahmad said EC will be holding a meeting this week to discuss the PSC report which was approved without debate in parliament yesterday.

The 79-page PSC report was tabled by PSC chief Maximus Ongkili, the Science, Technology and Innovation minister, after six months of meeting.

Its 22 recommendations however did not address concerns such as measures to prevent manipulation of the electoral roll, citizen-for-votes scam in peninsula Malaysia, enforcement of the Election Offences Act 1954 and enhancing the definition of election offences.

It also did not detail plans to stop dirty politics and recommendations to invite international observers as election watchdog.

Opposition MPs insisted to include a minority report with PSC's, saying it showed concrete evidences that the electoral rolls were not clean as claimed, with some 42,000 voters whose names are not found on the National Registration Department's database.

Electoral reforms coalition Bersih 2.0, disappointed with the inability of the PSC to stop electoral abuses, today announced that the third rally for electoral reforms, popularly known as Bersih 3.0, would be held on April 28.

-Harakahdaily