EC CHIEF THANKS BERSIH, LISTS 18 REFORMS

(Malay Mail Online) – Nearing his retirement as the Election Commission (EC) chairman, Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Yusof thanked polls reform group Bersih and opposition parties for their suggestions throughout his seven years as head of the voting regulator.

In an exclusive interview with local daily Oriental Daily that was published today, Abdul Aziz also said he had managed to implement 18 reforms to the Malaysian voting system, including the introduction of indelible ink and overseas voting.

The 18 reforms that Abdul Aziz said he had implemented in his tenure are as follows:

1. Use of indelible ink during elections

2. Early voting for the police and armed forces, instead of the previous use of postal voting

3. Allowing Malaysian voters abroad to vote through postal voting

4. Verification of voters’ identity with the National Registration Department after they are registered as voters

5. Allowing opposition parties to debate on television and radio channels during the campaign period

6. Extending the campaign period from seven to 11 days

7. Approving domestic and international election observers

8. Display of electoral rolls extended from seven to 14 days

9. Disallowing objections against candidates on nomination day

10. Candidates not allowed to withdraw their candidacies after nomination day

11. Disabled persons allowed to vote if accompanied by a trusted person, instead of only family members under previous rules

12. Change in polling station’s seating arrangements where the candidate’s representative may face the door to see the entry and exit of voters

13. Media personnel can use postal votes to cast votes

14. Early appointment of election officers to enable them to cast votes in advance

15. Replacing pencils with pens to mark ballot papers

16. Simplifying nomination by simplifying multiple forms into a single form

17. Disallowing opposition political parties from setting up tents outside polling stations

18. Setting up a special website for the Election Commission

In the interview, Abdul Aziz said he had previously mooted that doctors and nurses be allowed to use postal voting, but the Health Ministry director-general felt that medical personnel would be able to take turns to vote as they work in shifts.

He said the EC decided to introduce indelible ink to mark voters who have already voted, instead of rolling out biometrics due to concerns over data manipulation.

Abdul Aziz, who had served in the civil service for over 40 years since 1973 and was a former Home Ministry secretary-general, formally took over as EC chief on December 31, 2008.

He will relinquish his post on January 24 when he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 66.

Abdul Aziz said he had poured most of his time into work, telling the paper that he planned to spend more time with his family upon retirement, which he said will also give him more time to play golf, travel and fulfill his religious obligations.

He said he has no regrets and is satisfied with the results achieved during his seven-year term as the EC chief, noting that this period was a good opportunity to learn.