We were stopped at polling centres despite EC’s recognition, NGO tells tribunal

The director of independent research house Merdeka Center has revealed that its observers were denied entry into polling centres or kept at a distance during the 13th General Election.

Ibrahim Suffian told panellists at the ongoing Bersih People's Tribunal on electoral fraud in Subang Jaya that not all its 206 observers at various polling stations across West Malaysia were able to do their jobs.

"Perhaps it was because instructions by the Election Commission was not understood by polling centre officers that they kept our observers outside," said Ibrahim.

"Those allowed in were kept at a distance," he added.

Merdeka Center is one of four non-governmental organisations in West Malaysia to be allowed by the EC to send observers in the May 5 polls.

The other three are Malaysian Youth Council, Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs and Centre for Public Policy Studies.

The NGOs were bound by terms set by the EC, a move that one of the panellists Datuk Azzat Kamaluddin pointed out as setting limitations in Merdeka Center's report.

In its report on the elections based on "over 1,600 detailed observations" submitted by its observers, Merdeka Center concluded that the general election was partially free but unfair.

"The run-up to the elections was a chance for the EC to prove that they can be fair but they did not do so," said Ibrahim.

Ibrahim said that "if the opposition had won that 30 something seats, they would've won the government", referring to the parliamentary seats marginally won Barisan Nasional.

The Bersih People's Tribunal is organised by electoral reforms coalition Bersih 2.0 to gather evidences of electoral fraud, despite being snubbed by Putrajaya and the Election Commission.