A step closer to indelible ink

The Star (Used by permission)
by MARTIN CARVALHO

PETALING JAYA: The Election Commission is set to employ the indelible ink in the next general election once the legal, religious and procedural requirements over its usage are met, said its deputy chairman Datuk Wan Ahmad Omar.

“The EC has no objection to the use of indelible ink in the coming polls.

“However, the issue over its use can only be answered once the legal requirements are met,” he said here yesterday.

He said that assuming the use of the ink in the polls merely because it was one of the Parlia­mentary Select Committee (PSC) on Elec­toral Re­­forms’ recommendations would be like “putting the cart before the horse.”

“Once the laws are in place, only then will other considerations be looked into, such as the ink’s source, its chemistry content and halal status,” he said.

This process, he added, involved verifying the ink’s source with samples sent to the Chemistry Depart­ment for analysis.

“The results of the analysis will then be forwarded to the National Fatwa Council for a conclusion on its halal status,” he said, adding that the commission was taking a thorough approach on the matter to avoid doubts over its use once it had been accepted as part of the electoral process.

“We are aware of the sensitivities and don’t want it to be questioned or made into an issue by certain quarters if it is to be used in the polls,” said Wan Ahmad.

On Thursday, PSC chairman Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili said the committee was optimistic that the use of the ink to prevent multiple vo­­ting would become part of the polls process within the next two months.

The halal status of the ink, Wan Ahmad said, should not be an issue because it had been used for elections in Muslim countries, such as Indonesia, Nigeria and Malawi.

It would not affect a Muslim’s ablution (mandatory cleansing ritual) before prayers as the ink would be marked on the fingernail, not the person’s skin, he added.

Once accepted, Wan Ahmad said a booklet outlining the use of the ink would be issued by the commission to ensure a uniform implementation during polls.

On Thursday, Malay rights’ group Perkasa chief Datuk Ibrahim Ali, who is also Pasir Mas independent MP, caused a furore in Parliament when he claimed that the use of the ink on the fingers of Muslims would nullify their daily obligatory prayers.

In June 2007, the council announced the use of indelible ink in the 12th general election but withdrew its decision four days before polling on March 8, 2008.