Proham cadang parlimen lantik pengerusi SPR

Persatuan Promosi Hak Asasi Manusia (Proham) mencadangkan supaya pentadbir Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya (SPR) - termasuk pengerusi dan timbalan pengerusinya - dilantik oleh jawatankuasa parlimen.

Ahli jawatankuasa Proham, Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam (kanan) berkata langkah itu perlu bagi membolehkan SPR dilihat lebih bebas dan berintegriti.

Malang sekali SPR kini dilihat "terlalu pro-kerajaan dan tidak cukup independen," katanya ketika bercakap sebagai saksi dalam sesi pendengaran awam Jawatankuasa Pilihan Parlimen (PSC) mengenai pembaharuan pilihan raya hari ini.

Keadaan itu, katanya, berlaku kerana pengerusi dan timbalan pengerusi SPR dipilih dari kalangan penjawat awam yang telah lama berkhidmat.

Secara intrinsik, para penjawat awam ini tidak akan "mematuk tangan yang memberi," jelasnya lagi dalam sesi berkenaan hari ini.

Empowering voters, India style

Election Rule 49-O of world's largest democracy which allows for voters to exercise their right to dissent with the list of candidates is a good system to adopt, say groups.

PETALING JAYA: India, traditionally considered the world’s largest democracy, not only empowers its people to vote for its MP or Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) through the ballot but also allows them to reject candidates running in the polls using the same ballot.

Known as Rule 49-O of the Conduct of Elections Rule 1961, voters not agreerable to the candidates contesting can tick a specific column in the same ballot paper to allow them to express their decision not to vote for any of the candidates.

This not only sends a message to the political parties on the suitablility (or unsuitability) of their chosen candidates, but also prevents election fraud and misuse of votes.

Suhakam commissioner Muhammad Shaani Abdullah welcomed the idea of such a system in Malaysia, saying it allows the electorate to reject unsuitable candidates.

“If it empowers the people to choose their representative, then it must be good,” said Shaani. “It will compel candidates to work harder to retain their seats and also curb political parties from ‘parachuting’ unknown candidates to be fielded in a constituency.”

“It would also reduce instances of candidates toeing party lines too much, instead of speaking up boldly for their voters in parliament or the state assembly. In a democratic system, the MPs or the state assemblymen must voice the people’s aspiration,” he said.

Shaani acknowledged the system may likely create a mess of the electoral process if hundreds of constituencies reject their
candidates “but as time goes by, political parties will learn to field credible candidates and such problems will eventually be reduced.”

Concurring with Shaani, National Institute of Electoral Integrity (NIEI) director Amin Iskandar said Rule 49-O, if it is adopted, would help increase voter turnout as currently many are not willing to exercise their right to vote because they do not like the candidates.

“Even countries like Thailand and Bangladesh have this system. Voters here need to be educated on the system. Once they know why it is in place, then they will be able to use the system judiciously,” said Amin.

Much study needed

Malaysians for Free and Fair Elections (Mafrel) deputy chairman Shaharuddin Othman said while he lauds Rule 49-O, much study was needed before adopting it and also the process must be legislated first before implementation.

He said the election process in India had evolved based on the needs and aspirations of its people and Rule 49-O was a product of the process. “To implement it as the law here, much work needs to be done to change our electoral process,” said Shaharuddin.

Meanwhile, Election Commission deputy chairman Wan Ahmad Wan Omar dismissed the idea, saying Malaysia already has a working and established electoral system in place.

“Our system of assemblymen representing political parties works well in our country. Rule 49-O will only complicate things,”said Wan Ahmad when contacted.

He added that it would not solve any problem as voters would then have conflicting ideas on the candidates. Wan Ahmad said candidates have to implement whatever their party had promised during campaigns in order to retain their seats.

“If not, they will be punished at the next polls. Besides, individual candidates cannot do much without their party’s support,” he said.

Isteri tentera pula didaftar pengundi pos

(Harakahdaily) - PAS Negeri Pulau Pinang mendakwa satu lagi penyelewengan Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya (SPR) apabila bertindak mendaftar isteri tentera sebagai pengundi pos tanpa pengetahuan mereka.

Timbalan Pengarah Jabatan Pilihanraya PAS Pulau Pinang, Fadzil Kemi ketika dalam sidang media di Pejabat Parti Keadilan Cabang Tasek Gelugor semalam menegaskan, yang peliknya SPR tidak pun memaklumkan kepada isteri tentera terbabit bahawa mereka telah menukar status pemilih dari pengundi awam ke pengundi pos.

Sedangkan, katanya jika mahu berbuat demikian seseorang isteri tentera harus mengisi borang 1 bukan boleh melakukan tanpa pengetahuan mereka terlebih dahulu.

Walhal isteri tentera sebelum ini, ujarnyaadalah pengundi awam yang tertera dalam daftar pemilih dan bercanggah dengan peraturan-peraturan pilihanraya (Pendaftaran Pemilih) pindaan 2002 dalam seksyen 2(b) yang mana isteri seorang anggota tentera diberi pilihan sama ada mahu mendaftar sebagai pengundi tidak hadir (undi pos) atau pengundi awam.

"PAS Pulau Pinang mendapati apa yang berlaku terhadap 630 orang isteri tentera di Dewan Undangan Negeri (Dun) Teluk Air Tawar sebagai undi Pos diragui kerana mereka tidak pun dimaklumkan tentang status pemilih mereka sebelum ini," ujarnya sebagaimana yang terdapat pada pertambahan undi Pos dalam Pendaftar Pemilih Tambahan (DTP) suku ketiga 2010.

Katanya, menjadi persoalan sekarang ialah nama mereka diletakkan di bawah pengundi baru sedangkan mereka mendaftar dan mengundi beberapa kali sebelum ini.

Tambahnya, ia juga bertentangan dengan sistem SPR yang tidak akan membenarkan pendaftaran baru bagi orang yang pernah mendaftar.

Contohnya, Nazirah Mahmood yang sebelum ini mengundi di Jarak, Tasek Gelugor dalam Dun Permatang Berangan tetapi kini namanya tiada lagi sebagai pengundi awam sebaliknya diletakan di daerah mengundi Jalan Masjid dalam Dun Teluk Air Tawar.

"Bila ditanya beliau mengatakan tidak pernah memohon pertukaran status pemilih dari pengundi awam ke pengundi pos. Walaupun beliau seorang isteri tentera namun lebih senang memilih mengundi cara awam daripada pos," katanya yang juga Setiausaha Perhubungan PAS Pulau Pinang.

Jika begitu, sambung Fadhil, ianya berkemungkinan mempunyai agenda tertentu untuk menggunakan undi pos sebagai 'fixed deposit' dalam pilihan raya umum ke 13 nanti.

Sertai sama dalam sidang media itu ialah Pengarah Jabatan Pilihanraya PAS Pulau Pinang, Ustaz Khalid Man, Ketua Cabang PKR Tasek Gelugor, Mohd Nasir Mohamed dan Setiausaha DAP Bahagian Bagan, Francis Ong Koon Liak.