By SIM LEOI LEOI, The STar
Tuesday June 24, 2008
KUALA LUMPUR: No action will be taken against Election Commission chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman for saying it was Cabinet that had called off the use of indelible ink in the last general election.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz said this was because the Government respected the commission as an independent body.
“If there are differences with the Commission, the Government will explain our stand.
“However, we really hope that the EC would refrain from making statements that can confuse the public, for the sake of its institutional credibility and the integrity of our democratic process and elections,??? he said in a written reply to Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng (DAP — Bagan).
Lim had asked if action would be taken against Abdul Rashid for saying that the Cabinet had ordered him to stop using the indelible ink four days before polling date on March 8. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi then said it was merely a “suggestion.”
Nazri said the Cabinet had never ordered the commission to do so despite its warning to the body that the use of indelible ink would not have prevented some unscrupulous people from voting twice.
“However, the decision whether to continue with the use of the ink or not at that time still rested with the commission as a competent and independent authority,??? he said.
Related stories: EC chairman: Cabinet didn’t approve of indelible ink
KUALA LUMPUR: It was the Cabinet that did not approve the use of indelible ink during the March 8 election, Election Commission (EC) chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman disclosed Saturday.
He said he was told to take responsibility for agreeing to it.
“The Cabinet gave two very strong reasons why they did not agree to it – security and the law – Article 119, concerning the basic right for everyone to vote, and I agreed with them,” he said.
It’s not easy being EC chairperson. I took the rap over the years,??? Abdul Rashid said, adding that the commission wanted a review of election regulations.
He said that the commission should have a bigger control over the electoral process under Article 113 to Article 120 of the Federal Constitution.
“This would give us power to control abuses. One important aspect that has to be looked into immediately is the registration of electors registration,??? Abdul Rashid said after launching the National Seminar on Elections 2008; Democracy at Work.
He said another power lacking in the EC was the power to take court action.
“When people say the wrong things we should be able to sue. A lot of scandalous things have been thrown about, including from the media, the mainstream or alternative media.
“They must be made to pay for the things they say because most of the things they have been saying are not true??? he said.