PETALING JAYA, 23 April 2009: The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih) slammed the Election Commission (EC) chairperson Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof for his pro-Barisan Nasional (BN) behaviour recently.
Abdul Aziz (Source: mycio.mampu.
gov.my) Bersih said Abdul Aziz should resign if he continues to act like a “BN election agent” in a press statement issued today.
The coalition criticised Aziz for saying the Election Commision may study the possibility of not having a by-election in Penanti right after Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced on 18 April that BN may not contest in Penanti.
“[This] shows that the Election Commission is a parrot that echoes the BN’s opinions.
“If Abdul Aziz cannot control his partisan behaviour, he should just quit his job. He can then work full-time as a BN election agent or lead a lobby group advocating for the abolition of elections,” said Bersih resource person Wong Chin Huat.
Additionally, Bersih described the EC’s insistence on studying and deciding if a seat is vacant rather than accepting the legislature speaker’s judgment, in Perak and now in Penanti, as “both partisan and malicious”.
The group reminded Abdul Aziz that his job is “not to prevent elections and by-elections especially when it looks like BN cannot ensure victory”, but to ensure free, fair and clean elections.
“As elections — including by-elections — are core to a representative democracy, EC must not propose any changes to deprive voters of their right to decide who they want to represent them,” argued Wong.
He added that if the principle of “no taxation without representation” is violated, a government which collects tax revenue will be reduced to nothing but “a mafia outfit which extorts protection money from the people.”
Bersih urged the EC to push for the lifting of Article 48(6) instead, which bars an elected representative from re-contesting for five years after resigning from the seat.
Delay is suspicious
Meanwhile, DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang has questioned the EC’s decision to delay the announcement of the Penanti by-election nomination and polling dates.
Lim Kit Siang Describing it as “strange and unprecedented”, Lim said this has never happened in his 43 years of political and electoral experience in a blog posting today.
“Is the EC waiting for a signal from the Umno supreme council meeting tomorrow night on how to handle the Penanti by-election issue, as the prime minister and Umno president, Datuk Seri Najib Razak has indicated unwillingness for Umno and Barisan to contest in view of their losing streak in by-elections after last year’s political tsunami?” asked Lim.
He claimed that there has been speculation that Umno quarters would attempt to persuade former Penanti state assemblyperson Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin to repudiate his resignation letter.
On 17 April, EC chairperson Abdul Aziz said it would meet on 22 April to determine if the Penanti seat is vacant, and if so, the date of the by-election, and announce its decision by 24 April.
However, Bernama reported yesterday that the status of the Penanti state seat will only be announced on 27 April.
Lim said the EC’s decision would “reinforce public suspicions about its independence, professionalism, and intergrity.” 
konghu says
Don’t you have a mind of your own, Abdul Aziz ? Make decisions based on what is in front of you and not wait for “somebody” to give you an indication! You are a letdown. You should let others who are impartial take up the job. Resign.
Suresh says
BERSIH is a pure nuisance to this country. They should just let EC do their job.
Noel Dass says
It is quite obvious that the Election Commission is a non-Independent body. I don’t think any sane and right-thinking person ever believed that it was.
We certainly need to push for a completely INDEPENDENT and IMPARTIAL EC along with everything else that needs to be independent and impartial – police, judiciary…. the list keeps getting longer!
simon khoo says
Such blatant show of partisan and malicious intent by EC chairperson Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof. I’m saddened and disheartened that beautiful Malaysia is slowly and surely being turned into Zimbabwe.
The EC has shown its true face i.e. EC is the proxy arm of Umno/BN government. Independence, professionalism, and integrity are alien and foreign words to Abdul Aziz.
His primary concern is his own welfare.
PM says
Kit Siang is spot-on with his comments with regards on the performance of Abdul Aziz. He is not impartial and appears to be beholden to the BN government. It is about time he be given the boot as we rakyat want fairness and transparency in the way we conduct ourselves especially ones that concern the rakyat.
simon khoo says
BERSIH is a pure nuisance to this country. They should just let EC do their job according to Suresh.
Suresh why don’t you get to know BERSIH, get to know the aims and objectives of the organisation. Is good goverance, justice, fair play unreasonable to ask for?
Main says
Say or no say, what will happen will happen. To say somebody is afraid of losing is not the point. Let’s face it,whoever has the chance to run the office and the government and make decisions, has the logic based on the needs and requirement of the law. Of late, who has been talking about laws so loudly?
ambo says
Let’s see how Najib will comment on the conduct of EC. As it is the EC is causing another division among Malaysians. Is this consistent with Najib’s 1Malaysia concept?
If not then Najib should recommend someone else as EC chairman to Agong.
Eric says
suresh, BERSIH or not, the EC is doing what it considers its job: be a loyal BN component and ensure BN stays in power at whatever cost to democracy.
Fikri Roslan says
Suresh,
Congratulations for being objective enough to propose the EC to do their job. Many of these criticisms are just joining the bandwagon to criticise anything that criticises Umno. To those people, let me reiterate that the EC has his own wisdom and we trust them to do their job effectively. Don’t be distracted by this negative campaign that will divert your focus to do a good job for the country. Many of these people will condemn you if in their minds you are favouring Umno. For the Malays, I do not understand why they will support DAP and not Umno. I think they are living in a special dream where their main leaders are Lim Kit Siang and Karpal Singh.
Wish you all the best.
beeyong says
We must thank EC chief for washing so much dirty linen for the BN govt. This has made it so easy for the Rakyat to decide in the by-elections and for PR to win so easily. Thank you. Carry on your work.
Eric says
@fikri roslan
Please illustrate what you mean by EC “do[es] a good job for the country”? I am curious to know how you can manage this.
mycuntree says
This parrot of Umno is a curse to all Malaysians. It is pretty obvious why he has been given this post by Umno. The way he conducts himself brings nothing but discredit to the EC. BN is so desperate to win in elections that it has resorted to padding every public and government institutions with their yes-men.