The intrepid civil servant

A civil servant, at least a good one, remains above politics, but what's in it for the EC deputy chairman to come to BN's defence unless he's seek something in return from his political masters - whatever that may be?

It would seem that the deputy chairman of the Election Commission, Wan Ahmad Wan Omar, is taking it upon himself to play the Don Quixote and Walter Mitty of Malaysian politics while pretending to be a senior civil servant in the payroll of the Election Commission.

For the benefit of those who are unfamiliar, Walter Mitty refers to an ordinary, often ineffectual person who indulges in fantastic daydreams of personal triumphs.

Don Quixote, meanwhile, is a deluded anti-hero, who having read many books on chivalry, decides to be a knight and practice true knightly aims. He imagines a world not in keeping with the real one, and becomes an object of mirth and sometimes pity.

Under this Barisan Nasional government, many civil servants, of which I presume Wan Ahmad is one, feels compelled to speak out on behalf of their political masters.

Wan Ahmad’s recent pronouncements seem to go beyond his responsibilities to oversee the ‘proper conduct’ of the recent 13th general election, which, if public comments are anything to go by, is by itself questionable!

Wan Ahmad may feel duty bound to protect the integrity of the EC but I fear that in his eagerness to serve his political masters, he may have strayed into questionable territory by:

a) Challenging for the leader of the opposition, Anwar Ibrahim, to withdraw from parliament if he did not accept the results of the 13th general election.

b) Commenting on the personal agenda of those that question the integrity and conduct of the EC in the 13th general election.

c) Suggesting that the people in the urban areas have been exploited for political mileage by Pakatan Rakyat.

d) By rubbishing claims of blackouts at polling centres and rejecting the claims that foreigners were able to vote. These issues are for the court to decide, not Wan Ahmad.

Wan Ahmad should confine himself to his duties as the deputy chairman of the EC lest he be accused of abusing the privileges that attend his position.

Be apolitical and go check your work scope. If he insists on carrying on this way, he may further be accused of complicity to advance the cause of his political masters by circumventing the law of the land.

But for what purpose? In return for whatever favours his political masters may confer upon you at a later date? A Tan Sri perhaps?

Official corruption

As a senior civil servant, I know you will have enough intelligence to understand why these urbanite Malaysians and the opposition may be inclined to think so.

At least I hope you do have the intelligence to think so. Do you? Please tell me that you do.

I am sure such accusations are unfounded, for after all are you not duty bound to uphold the integrity and independence of the EC, no matter what?

Even if you are under the purview of the Prime Minister’s Office your job is still to facilitate the elections in a fair and impartial manner as provided for by the Federal Constitution.

Leave the politics to your political masters and Pakatan Rakyat.

Already many (including this writer) have seen your recent pronouncements of denouncing the opposition and supporting Barisan Nasional and, for lack of a better word, it is a form of official corruption.

A civil servant, at least a good civil servant, remains above politics. What is it in there for you to do anything else unless you seek something in return from your political masters – whatever that may be?

Leave things be. Put your nose to the grindstone, ignore all those jibes and name calling (however deserved) from the opposition and just do your work to earn that fat salary you get at the end of each month!

As for BN and Najib Tun Razak, I think they can take care of themselves without your assistance.

It is not your place to speculate on why Raja Nong Chik lost in Lembah Pantai and Abdul Ghani Othman in Gelang Patah.

Maybe you are upset because the EC was unable to ensure a result that would favour BN because the voter swing towards the opposition was simply too large to enable the EC to make any ‘adjustments’.

Maybe you are trying to make capital of a losing situation to shore up the EC’s credentials for non-interference. See what conjectures can be construed of senior EC officials who stray into the realms of giving their opinions on political matters?

Better for you to behave like any impartial, honest and upstanding senior civil servant would. Even if you are not, try!

CT Ali is a reformist who believes in Pakatan Rakyat’s ideologies. He is a FMT columnist.