The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (BERSIH) warns Malaysians that the General Elections on 8 March could be Malaysia’s dirtiest elections ever,as a result of the Election Commission’s (EC) decision to cancel implementation of indelible ink on polling day.
BERSIH is of the view that indelible ink will prevent multiple voting.While only a thorough clean-up of electoral roll may eliminate phantom voters (impersonators of fraudulently-registered and genuine voters), indelible ink can at least make them “unrecyclable”.
The cancellation of the use of indelible ink makes the deployment of phantom voters operationally easier and cheaper.The outcome of marginal seats in Kelantan, Penang, Selangor and Perak may therefore be determined by phantoms.
Against the backdrop of other emerging irregularities such as the wholesale transfer of voters and thousands of fraudulent voter registration,the democratic right of Malaysian may have already been stolen from them-before being exercised at the ballot box on 8 March.
BERSIH calls upon all Malaysians to support the nationwide signature campaign for a Royal Commission on Electoral Reform (RCER) to be established after the General Election.The campaign is beingconducted both on the ground and online at http://www.petitionoline.com/RECR2008/
BERSIH urges all members of the public to help collect evidence of all instances of fraud,irregularities and misconducts including phantom voters, intimidation, bribery and treating to submit to RCER.
BERSIH rejects the EC’s excuses for the cancellation of this move on legal and security grounds. The National Fatwa Council has give its approval for the use of indelible ink as early as last August. The could have submitted the amendment to the relevant by-law, Elections ( Conduct of Elections)Regulations 1981, to the parliamentary session from August to December 2007, thus clearing all legal and security concerns.
The decision by the EC shows very cleary that it has neither intention nor the commitment to carry out electoral reform. None of BERSIH’s five basic demands of electoral reform (clean-up of electoral roll, indelible ink, abolition of postal voting for security personnel, free and fair media access, campaign period of 21 days) has been fulfilled.
BERSIH urges all concerned Malaysian to exprees their demand for electoral reform by supporting our call for a Royal Commission for Electoral Reform after the General Election.
BERSIH vows to step up its efforts and continue our mission for clean,free and fair elections, no matter what it takes.
For enquiries, please contact the BERSIH secretariat at (012) 2232002 or (012) 2192010.
