The Malaysian Insight

FORMER Election Commission (EC) chairman Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman will head the Pakatan Harapan (PH) delegation to meet the EC on the issue of electoral rolls.

Rashid, who was EC chairman between 2000 and 2008, said it was unusual for EC to reject a request for a meeting.

“There’s no need for democracy if we can’t even meet the EC,” said Rashid during a press conference at the PKR headquarters today.

“In an election process, it’s important that we discuss and talk to the parties in charge. The EC is the highest body conducting polls.”

The Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) vice-presidentsaid political parties are like “clients” of the EC and their requests for a meeting should be entertained.

“If the electorate vote for a change in government, so be it. The EC should not interfere.

“Commission officers are elected by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong”, and should remain neutral.

“Don’t play the fool, it’s in the constitution and if you trample on democracy, then there’s no need to hold elections,” he said.

If a voter’s name was struck off the electoral roll without a reason, Rashid said, it was a violation of his human rights.

“If this occurs, the voter has a right to bring this matter up to the United Nations.”

Malaysia’s record, he said, was quite shabby. In the first elections in 1959, it was understandable if things were more disorganised but not in present-day Malaysia.

PH said the EC chief Mohd Hashim Abdullah had yet to meet the opposition despite its request more than a year ago.

Present at the press conference were PKR’s Tian Chua and R. Sivarasa, DAP’s Teresa Kok and Amanah’s communications director Khalid Samad.

Earlier this month, PKR protested against the EC’s decision not to provide the quarterly electoral rolls to the political parties.

The party alleged that EC’s action was an act of manipulation designed to let Barisan Nasional retain power. – May 17, 2017.