Last Thursday, the BN government and their cohorts the SPR clearly demonstrated in unequivocal terms their intent to steal GE 13. They presented a bill to amend the Election Offences Act 1954 to further restrict scrutiny of the voting process by representatives of political parties and make the system more amenable to manipulation.
a. removing the right of political parties to set up booths to assist voters establish their names on the electoral roll and saluran numbers identity of voters before going into polling stations ( called "pondok panas" ) [ section (26)(1)(e) ]
b. removing the right of political parties to have representatives observing the process in the SPR booths inside polling stations ( Barung SPR )
c. amending section 14 (1A) so that the SPR would dictate the time of arrival and departure of polling and counting agents of candidates at polling stations. The current law provided for polling and counting agents to arrive at the time decided by the political parties as long as they stayed at the polling stations for at least 2 hours.
Pakatan Rakyat MPs put up strenuous objections to the amendments. Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim warned the BN in the closing words of his speech on Thursday morning that these new provisions would be defied by the opposition even if passed by the BN. He said that Pakatan Rakyat would not give up the established rights under the law which aided transparency in the process.
The BN in the afternoon of Thursday then presented fresh amendments to the Bill backing down on (a) and (c) above restoring the status quo. However they used their brute majority in the House to ram through the amendment removing party representatives observing the process in the SPR Barung.
Opposition MPs argued to no avail that the SPR Barung was initiated by the BN by amendments in 2003 to assist voters to get their electoral and saluran numbers and had been implemented in the 2004 and 2008 elections without any issues. The lame justification put forward by the BN and the SPR was that "this causes difficulties to the election workers". When asked for reports of such "difficulties" none were cited.
Another controversial amendment pushed through was the removal of section 11(1)(c) requiring all printed material during campaign to bear the name of the publisher and printer. Removal of the onerous requirement of naming the printer all the time would have improved the provision as was argued by PR MPs. However removing it all together has opened the door to a dirtier election where all sorts of defamatory or inflammatory material could be put out without anyone taking responsibility for them.
What was apparent was that the BN and SPR were not interested in presenting the necessary amendments to the law to implement KEY recommendations by the Parliamentary Select Committee on Electoral Reform. Nothing had been done for example on key issues such as access to the media and the question of how a caretaker government.
Even the regulations to implement "early voting" which was to replace the so-called postal voting system for army personnel, their spouses and police personnel were not presented to Parliament by the last day of the sitting leaving open the question of whether the BN and SPR were going to implement this key change for GE 13.
These legislative moves by the BN and SPR on Thursday made it clear that their real intent was to make the electoral process less transparent and easier to manipulate. It is clear that BERSIH 3.0 is needed even more than before. BERSIH's demand that the key recommendations of the PSC report must be implemented before GE 13 is central to a free and fair election.
The Election Commission must resign for the legislative fiasco they caused in Parliament on Thursday and for their intransigence in implementing the PSC report and BERSIH demands.
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BERSIH is PEACE & is for All/Anyone, Globally, Irrespective of Nationality, Ethnicity, Social,Political,Economical, Race & Religious Background !
Crystal clear that BN is doing a daylight robbery. Our answer is people power. Turn up in full force on April 28 wherever you are. It is now or never.
The author says that the opposition will defy the new provisions. But when the Opposition defy those new provisions, Umno/BN & the EC will go on to claim this so-called moral & legal ground that those provisions were already passed in Parliament.
I will call this kind so-called democracy as a short-gun marriage. A marriage which takes place with a short-gun pointed to an unwilling bridegroom's head, while the priest (Speaker) rushes to get the marriage done and over with.
All those who voted in favour of these new provisions are midnight-cowboys (having seen the movie Midnight Cowboy might make some sense).
Nothing is honorable and just among the thieving UMNO/BN cohorts. All they desire is to remain in power so that they have continued carte blanche to plunder and rob the nation.
The present political scenario is getting from bad to worse and unless Malaysians put a stop to their abuses and corruption, they will continue to steam roll and flatten the nation.
Is this what Najib means when two days ago he mentioned that he and his UMNO/BN govt will be transparent and transform for changes? Transform yes, but transform for the worse! This PM is worse than a liar! He uses all dirty means available just to stay in power for fear of 'retribution' for his evil deeds, cheating, fraud, and corruption! The rakyat MUST NOT TRUST such a PM. He doesn't mean what he says! Penangites beware, his rosy 'allocations' of millions of ringgit to Nibong Tebal is just allocations, nothing more. They may never materialised but empty promises! His sting is worse than a cobra's bite! False ICs, immediate citizenship, amendment of Election Bill to stop double checking, postal votes, phamtom voters, etc. Najib & UMNO/BN employ to prevent a clean and fair Election! Now is the TIME for the Rakyat to stand up against this tyrant and corrupted govt! We must!
This Hisaputin admitted they were heavy handed during 709 but did not offer any apology for polis BRUTALITY. He likes to compare the Bersih 2 (which was organised and orderly n peaceful) to the riots in London. What he did not mentioned was during Bersih 2, it was the POLIS who was violent and acted like gangsters. The Bersih 2 participants did not carry any weapons. Even the simple incident of firing tear gases into the Tung Shin hospital was also not admitted when accusation against the polis was brought up. Excuses like Side way lah, different angle lah, WTF.
It is a sad day for democracy in this country. The people now understand what Najib meant when he said earlier that BN must win the GE13 at 'all cost!"
I am a layperson and was totally ignorant of BN's insidious polls cheating mechanism until I read this article, Ambiga's article and the readers' comments. Thank you guys. Below are some of my conclusions:
First, why was the bill to amend the Election Offences Act 1954 to further restrict scrutiny of the voting process by representatives of political parties bulldozed through Parliament with seven other bills at the last minute. Even Parliament's clock was frozen, something unprecedented in history? The answer is simple. BN does not want to thoroughly debate the deceitful Bill and above all want to slip it in silently and keep the people and groups like Bersih unaware of massive fraud mechanism they intend to put in place. They have the majority in Parliament and they know they can bulldozed the Bill with impunity and ensuring the rakyat is kept in the dark.
This amendments to the Election Offences Act 1954 also appears to be the final nail in the coffin to carry out the treasonous act of cheating before elections, meaning GE13 is just around the corner.
These amendments as any layman can conclude are designed solely for the purpose of making the voting process less transparent and make the system amenable to manipulation.
The Bill severely restricts scrutiny of the voting process by representatives of political parties. This is how the cheating mechanism works (comment from readers):
Thousands of phantom voters are placed in the electoral rolls. These phantom voters only known to the EC and they will brief the Special Task Force from UMNO about these phantom voters. The duty of the Special Task Force is to mark the empty ballot paper and drop the ballot paper into the ballot box. They cannot do this in the presence of the polling agents from the opposition parties. To make their cheating possible, amendments have to be made to disallow the presence of polling agents at the polling station and a duty roaster for the polling clerks. This is to ensure at a particular slot, there are only members of this Special Task Force on duty to carry out this dastardly job.
Phantom voters are deceased persons and multiple persons registered under a single address, illegal immigrants, foreigners with PR or given 'instant' citizenships, multiple or double registration voters. Even absentee voters will not be spared as they can be used by the cheats to mark and flood the BN votes. WHAT THESE CHEATERS NEED ARE BASICALLY SUFFICIENT NUMBERS OF PHANTOM VOTERS. With the new amendments, these phantom voters need not even appear at the polling stations on that day lessening the risk of being found out. The dubious 'postal votes', reshuffling of voter's addresses and polling locations etc will further augment and reinforce the cheating process.
The outcome will probably be a very unusual HIGH TURNOUT RATE of voters particularly in crucial areas such as in SELANGOR. An unusual high turnout rate, over 90% or even over 100% turnout is a sure indication of massive cheating by this method.
It is thus crucial that the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong be petitioned to withhold assent to amendments of the Bill. Any amendments to this Bill on the contrary MUST strengthen the monitoring process by independent observers and opposition and NOT lessening it. It is also imperative that the electoral rolls MUST be thoroughly CLEANED before the General Elections is held.
The amendments certainly confirm our worst fears that the 13th GE will be the dirtiest yet.Indeed, the audacity with which these amendments are proposed and the speed with which they were passed reflects the utter contempt being shown for the rakyat’s call for clean and fair elections.
Comment Link Monday, 23 April 2012 07:08 posted by Right or wrong the Rakyat needs to decide their own future. No Agong or PDRM ETC..
Most times I see commenter saying asking the Agong to help, but just look at Perak...what was the outcome? We know pretty well that all Govt machineries are shit organization. So what's the point asking them to help? We the Rakyat need to take action by ourselves and we need to show them we mean business this time.
If the hated/corrupted BN-UMNO intended to cheat at the polls, we Malaysians must be determined to boot these scoundrels and public vote-stealers out of Putrajaya as and when GE 13 is called.
Make sure you check well your nomination and make sure you vote only for Pakatan Rakyat and Mr. Anwar Ibrahim as the legit Prime Minister of a New Malaysia for a better future.
Send all those motherfuckers in UMNO and their crooks like Scorpene Najib aka Altantuya, Cow Shahrizat, Kerismuddin, Kerala Mahathir and all the political crooks and hags to HELL which they belong and ready for them.
Neve thought that the hated/corruputed UMNO would stoop so low to cheat at GE 13, and that Motherfucking Najib will lose his stinking sarong and sitting at the deathrow awaiting excution!
Kami pasti akan sabotaj UMNO yang cuba nak menipu dengan membawa pendatan tanpa izin untuk undi bagi pihaK UMNO...kami kaitangan SPR dan JPN naik fedup dengan kerenah UMNO yang suruh kami buat kerja yang salah disisi UGAMA ISLAM.....KAMI TAK MAHU LAGI SEKONGKOL DENGAN UMNO YANG ARAH KAMI BUAT KERJA KOTOR DAN GILA YANG MENGANCAM KESELAMATAN NEGARA..
UMNO/BN has ruled the country for the last 5 decades through foul play especially gerrymandering, buying votes and denying the right of known opposition voters.
It was successful in all the elections with the undivided help of the EC. Their trump card where they were losing was the postal votes where the Armed Forces did not have any say. Their votes were predetermined for UMNO/BN. Now UMNO/BN has roped more than a million RELA members. If these RELA members are given postal votes, then the Opposition is sure to lose at crucial constituencies.
Since the UMNO/BN government has left out most of the recommendations of BERSIH 2.0 together with that of the PAC, it is very timely to have BERSIH 3.0 as a sit in at Dataran Merdeka.
The Home Minister has already said that BERSIH 3.0 is NOT A SECURITY RISK. As such BERSIH 3.0 should be held in an open place such as DATARAN MERDEKA so as to increase the awareness of the citizens to what is happening in the country.
The Organizing Committee of BERSIH 3.0 should not backtrack and compromise to the venue. Why should we? We would not cause any traffic jams unless the PDRM deliberately puts up road blocks and diverts traffic towards DATARAN MERDEA to inconvenience the people.
Since the Organizers have already intimidated their intention in writing to the PDRM, it is they who should see to the smooth flow of traffic and not cause unnecessary hardship to the public.
The EC has become a liability to all Malaysians who love a FAIR AND CLEAN election. The EC is the biggest culprit helping UMNO/BN to abuse their powers .The EC must be held accountable after Pakatan Rakyat wins Putrajaya. Those found to be hand in glove in tampering fhe electoral roll and assisting NRD and UMNO/BN to sell instant Mykads and citizenship to foreigners should be charged with treason.
Let us pressure the UMNO/BN government with BERSIH 3.0 and more until there is a level playing field for all political parties and a revamped EC could ensure a FAIR AND CLEAN election.
This freaking Najis & BN with all the govt machinery, the govt own media, the police, the unclean EC, the nation's coffer and yet they want to play dirty to win........No fucking balls to face the opposition one to one on even ground. Shame on these BN people.
UMNO/BN IS REALLY SCARED OF PAKATAN RAKYAT'S POPULARITY THAT UMNO/BN MUST CREATE \ & PUT OBSTACLES EVERYWHERE FOR PAKATAN RAKYAT AND THE PEOPLE. INCREDIBLE THIS NOH OMAR. LYING THROUGH HIS TEETH. WITH SUCH A BULLY UMNO/BN IN MALAYSIA, EVEN A WORM WILL TURN.
"SHAH ALAM: The Pakatan Rakyat Council proposal that Selangor government decline holding general election simultaneously with federal government shows that the opposition is scared of winds of change favoring Barisan Nasional (BN)."
Selangor Umno liaison deputy chairman Datuk Seri Noh Omar said the reason given, to ensure that the Election Commission's (EC) electoral roll was clean, was a just ploy to confuse the people.
UMNO/BN IS REALLY SCARED OF PAKATAN RAKYAT'S POPULARITY THAT UMNO/BN MUST CREATE \ & PUT OBSTACLES EVERYWHERE FOR PAKATAN RAKYAT AND THE PEOPLE. INCREDIBLE THIS NOH OMAR. LYING THROUGH HIS TEETH. WITH SUCH A BULLY UMNO/BN IN MALAYSIA, EVEN A WORM WILL TURN.
"SHAH ALAM: The Pakatan Rakyat Council proposal that Selangor government decline holding general election simultaneously with federal government shows that the opposition is scared of winds of change favoring Barisan Nasional (BN)."
Selangor Umno liaison deputy chairman Datuk Seri Noh Omar said the reason given, to ensure that the Election Commission's (EC) electoral roll was clean, was a just ploy to confuse the people.
UMNO/BN IS REALLY ASCARED OF PAKATAN RAKYAT'S POPULARITY THAT UMNO/BN MUST CREATE/\ & PUT OBSTACLES EVERYWHERE FOR PAKATAN RAKYAT AND THE PEOPLE. INCREDIBLE THIS NOH OMAR. LYING THROUGH HIS TEETH. WITH SUCH A BULLY UMNO/BN IN MALAYSIA, EVEN A WORM WILL TURN.
"SHAH ALAM: The Pakatan Rakyat Council proposal that Selangor government decline holding general election simultaneously with federal government shows that the opposition is scared of winds of change favoring Barisan Nasional (BN)."
Selangor Umno liaison deputy chairman Datuk Seri Noh Omar said the reason given, to ensure that the Election Commission's (EC) electoral roll was clean, was a just ploy to confuse the people.
All is lost. We doomed. We are fucked. What shall we do? Now I can't see the light at the end of the tunnel. I only can hope and pray.
All civil societies and NGO should organized e-petition or other form to his Highness to withhold assent. Some one should take the lead, galvanized civil conscientiousness among the rakyat.
Islam justify the use of force, if necessary, to remove evil, corrupt rulers.The 'rakyat' must exercise this right to demand that the evil UMNO led government step down, failing which they are to be removed by force.
Charade Besih 3.0 is necessary to awaken those that still not yet, not all Malaysians are so active like you, civil conscience awakening is what is require now to counter these massive and blatant cheating of UMNO-BN.