THE Election Commission (EC) should be more dutiful in discharging its duties.
Its chairman, Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof, has been reported to have said that the automatic electoral registration system cannot be implemented since the Barisan Nasional does not have a two thirds majority in Parliament.
Why does he assume that the loyal opposition will not support good reforms and that only government can and will do so? Does he not realise that the dutiful opposition would support a good amendment in the national and public interest?
Let us the voters judge the government and the opposition members of Parliament, on how they will vote for constitutional amendments.
Apparently, the practice of allowing political parties to use their own assistant registered officers (AROs) has been disallowed. As a result new government AROs have been appointed, mostly from government agencies. But the new AROs have registered relatively fewer new voters.
Consequently, the increase in new voters has been dismal, despite stronger growth in the eligible voting population. If the responsibility to register new voters was still enjoyed by the political party agents, the registration of new voters would have been much more successful.
So why not revert to the previous effective policy of allowing the opposition to appoint their own AROs? Then we will get more Malaysians to register to vote.
To prevent any doubts on the integrity of the EC and also to ensure that more eligible Malaysians are registered to vote, it is imperative that Article 119 of the Federal Constitution be amended to introduce automatic voter registration.
This amendment will benefit the election process and strengthen parliamentary democracy.
Hence the challenges facing all political parties, the EC and the rakyat, are for all of us to initiate quick consultations and legislative action, to amend the constitution, to enable automatic registration – well before the next general election in about two years.
The rakyat and the Bersih election reform group could start a campaign to introduce automatic voting.
I would also appeal to my fellow citizens to have our own humble individual campaigns, such as – "Each citizen persuade at least one fellow citizen to register to vote" or "Each one register one voter".
Bersih could also monitor the progress of this critical Electoral Constitutional Reform campaign, for all Malaysians to better understand and appreciate who is for and against sound electoral reforms and good governance. This move would benefit all our people, if not all the politicians.
I appeal to the EC to be more professional and to serve our people and country more diligently with greater integrity and commitment.
I hope that the government listens to the rakyat and responds favourably in the public's long-term interests.
This could be our wish for a "Happy and better New Year".
Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam
Chairman
Asli Centre of Public Policy Studies
Its chairman, Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof, has been reported to have said that the automatic electoral registration system cannot be implemented since the Barisan Nasional does not have a two thirds majority in Parliament.
Why does he assume that the loyal opposition will not support good reforms and that only government can and will do so? Does he not realise that the dutiful opposition would support a good amendment in the national and public interest?
Let us the voters judge the government and the opposition members of Parliament, on how they will vote for constitutional amendments.
Apparently, the practice of allowing political parties to use their own assistant registered officers (AROs) has been disallowed. As a result new government AROs have been appointed, mostly from government agencies. But the new AROs have registered relatively fewer new voters.
Consequently, the increase in new voters has been dismal, despite stronger growth in the eligible voting population. If the responsibility to register new voters was still enjoyed by the political party agents, the registration of new voters would have been much more successful.
So why not revert to the previous effective policy of allowing the opposition to appoint their own AROs? Then we will get more Malaysians to register to vote.
To prevent any doubts on the integrity of the EC and also to ensure that more eligible Malaysians are registered to vote, it is imperative that Article 119 of the Federal Constitution be amended to introduce automatic voter registration.
This amendment will benefit the election process and strengthen parliamentary democracy.
Hence the challenges facing all political parties, the EC and the rakyat, are for all of us to initiate quick consultations and legislative action, to amend the constitution, to enable automatic registration – well before the next general election in about two years.
The rakyat and the Bersih election reform group could start a campaign to introduce automatic voting.
I would also appeal to my fellow citizens to have our own humble individual campaigns, such as – "Each citizen persuade at least one fellow citizen to register to vote" or "Each one register one voter".
Bersih could also monitor the progress of this critical Electoral Constitutional Reform campaign, for all Malaysians to better understand and appreciate who is for and against sound electoral reforms and good governance. This move would benefit all our people, if not all the politicians.
I appeal to the EC to be more professional and to serve our people and country more diligently with greater integrity and commitment.
I hope that the government listens to the rakyat and responds favourably in the public's long-term interests.
This could be our wish for a "Happy and better New Year".
Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam
Chairman
Asli Centre of Public Policy Studies