PM Najib: Gov't will look into PSC recommendations

The government and the Election Commission (EC) will look into all 22 recommendations made by the parliamentary select committee (PSC) on electoral reform, Najib Abdul Razak said today.

The prime minister said the government, too, wanted a fair and clean election as it did not want to be elected based on any election fraud.

“We have nothing to hide,” he told Malaysian journalists after attending the two-day 20th Asean Summit at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh, which ended today.

However, he was surprised that the opposition created an uproar when it was tabled in Parliament although their representatives were in the same committee, together with Barisan Nasional (BN) representatives in preparing the report.

He said the opposition had accepted the report with not many objections when PSC prepared it to improve the election processes.

The committee was set up to iron out all issues related to electoral processes towards a fair and clean election.

The report was passed by the Dewan Rakyat yesterday without debate.

Among the 22 recommendations, PSC suggested a legal provision to allow the dissolution of Parliament only four years after the previous general election.

It also recommended a special parliamentary select committee be set up to supervise and scrutinise all efforts to revive and clean up the electoral roll.

Automatic registration of citizens who reached 21 years old was also proposed by the committee.

‘Let’s wait and see’

On Bersih’s plan to hold a rally nationwide to protest against the report, Najib said: “Tengoklah, nanti” (Let’s wait and see).

On other matters, he said he had asked Indonesian Vice-President Boediono Pose, who also attended the Asean Summit, to convey his message to his Indonesian counterpart, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, to enable both countries to find a solution to the current Indonesian maid issues.

It was reported that Jakarta would impose a single type of work for a minimum monthly payment of RM700, which was met with strong objection from Malaysians.

Indonesia imposed a temporary freeze on the supply of its maids to Malaysia since June 2009, following reports of abuse by employers, but lifted it in November last year.

On Phnom Penh banning its maids from going to Malaysia, Najib said he would discuss the matter with his counterpart, Hun Sen, when they meet in Phnom Penh later in the afternoon.

Cambodia has banned its maids from working in Malaysia since October last year, following reports of abuse involving its maids.

- Bernama