EC chief dubs Bersih leaders dishonest
By Boo Su-Lyn, The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, July 17 — The Election Commission (EC) accused Bersih 2.0 leaders today of being deceitful over its impartiality as it has the support of the opposition, a week after the electoral reforms group held a rally that drew tens of thousands.
EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof pointed out that they had gone to the streets of the capital city on July 9 to protest along with opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, PAS president Datuk Seri Hadi Awang and other Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders.
“So (Bersih chief Datuk) Ambiga (Sreenevasan)’s statement to me that Bersih does not side political parties is not true at all,” Abdul Aziz wrote in an essay published by the Umno-owned Mingguan Malaysian today.
“In addition, PAS president (Datuk Seri) Hadi Awang threatened SPR to take action on the eight demands, or else they will organise another demonstration,” he added, using the EC’s Malay acronym.
Abdul Aziz pointed out that Hadi’s remarks revealed Bersih 2.0’s association with political parties, saying: “Bersih is no longer the impartial body that first came to see me. It is as if it has become a political party.”
Bersih 2.0 – a coalition of 62 NGOs – has made eight demands in their call for free and fair elections, which are to clean the electoral roll, reform the postal ballot system, indelible ink, a minimum 21-day campaign period, free and fair access to the media, strengthen public institutions, stop corruption and dirty politics.
Abdul Aziz pointed out that only the first four of the eight demands were relevant to the EC. “SPR cleans the electoral roll every day,” he stressed.
“But what is said to be phantom voters are actually voters who do not live at the place where they vote. On polling day, they go back to vote (but) do not inform the JPN (National Registration Department) or SPR. They are valid voters,” added the EC chief.
Abdul Aziz noted that the postal ballot system could not be removed because many members of the army, police and Malaysian citizens were overseas, whom he said had a right to vote.
