(Bernama) — Election Commission (EC) chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman said the country’s election system need to be reviewed to give it autonomous power and total control over the election process, the media included.
Speaking on his last day in office after 25 years service, the retiring EC chairman said a review was necessary to stop others from making accusations against the commission.
“EC has to defend itself against accusations that it is toothless. How can we act when the rules do not allow us? The rules are there but our action cannot satisfy everyone,” he told reporters at the ground breaking ceremony for the site of the new EC headquarters in Presint 2 here.
The new EC building costing RM70-80 million in the shape of a ballot box is scheduled for completion in two years.
Abdul Rashid, 66, will be replaced by Home Ministry secretary-general Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof effective tomorrow.
His service was extended by another year after Dewan Rakyat passed the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2007 to extend the retirement age for EC members from 65 to 66 years.
Abdul Rashid who had handled seven general elections said EC should be in control during the campaign period telling people what to do and what not to do, and not other authorities.
“EC should be in the position to control the total network of media during elections. It should be able to tell the media their limit and role they can play during elections.” He proposed that a body be created to review the needs of EC and the country’s elections laws, although it may take two, three or ten years.
However, it was up to the government whether to accept the concept or not.
“If the government accepts the concept, then it must make appointments but if it wants to wait, then I cannot comment.
“I don’t know whether the situation warrants it or not. I am just speaking as a former chairman based on his experience.”
Abdul Rashid said he had forwarded the proposal to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and offered himself to be the adviser should the body be created.
He said other countries had similar setups during elections where the EC had full control over the election process, not ministries or departments.
“It existed in other developing countries. I feel we have to follow their foot steps as it is the strengthening of democratic practices.” Abdul Rashid also said he was considering taking legal action against several opposition party members for making personal attacks against him.
He declined to reveal their names but said he had adequate information and proof for his lawyer to act.
“I did not want to sue these people earlier because I did not want to drag the EC into it. Now that I have retired and a free person, I am considering a suit against those who had said so many untruthful and bad things against me,” he said.
written by Ahjamal, January 01, 2009 06:14:22
this.
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written by SiHangChai, January 01, 2009 01:05:16
Are you suffering from mental loss? Why need to revamp the EC process when you have threaten to sue people? You have so far managed to counter all the allegations on phantom voters and postal voters, and such don't exist. After all, the EC electoral list are clean. Isn't it?
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written by goman2k3, December 31, 2008 17:36:00
Happy New Year to Pete and family and I would like to personally thank you for all great things you have done for our beloved country and the sacrifice and hardship that you and family has undergone. Hidup Malaysia
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written by arazak, December 31, 2008 09:29:00
Well, that is between he and God to know. If he really assists the UMNO/BN regime to cheat for the past 25 years, than, he will be answerable to 26 million Malaysians in the afterlife.
Anybody heard about the land in Pahang?
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written by Sudahlah tu, December 31, 2008 08:02:48
Saya harap di penghujung hayat anak abdul rahman ini , dia juga dapt menemui Tuhan dan bertaubat sebelum disembahyangkan.
kezalimannya selama 25 tahun sudah cukup berdosa dan hanyalah Tuhan sahaja yang boleh memaafkannya kerana anak rahman berlagak sebagai tuhan dan bersubahat dalam komplot mencuri kekayaan secara tidak halal.
semoga cucu anak rahman itu tidak menerima hukuman yang berat kerana perbuatan zalim bapa mereka.
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written by cllim123, December 31, 2008 05:17:12
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written by varvoom, December 31, 2008 05:09:37
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written by wongnoball, December 31, 2008 04:36:17
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written by Rozlan, December 31, 2008 04:33:24
Why now you want to suggest this and that.What had you being doing all these years? Even the voters list still not yet clean up...
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written by asguard, December 31, 2008 04:01:19
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written by PRman, December 31, 2008 03:57:50
You are good at talking crap for sure. One day you indicated to sue the opposition making wild allegations, and the next day you said the EC system needs to be revamped.
Please retire, and shut up. Your services is no longer required, and should have been terminated long ago.
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written by InEffective, December 31, 2008 03:56:53
this feller badly deserves the rotan.
(for helping prop up a system that denies the Malaysian citizen of 1 voice 1 vote and fair equitable representation)
Screwed up the lifestyles and futures of 27mill peoples
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written by Democrats, December 31, 2008 03:54:20
Why not just tender it to a independent and foreign organization to organise our election?....since we are so good at privatisation and outsourcing...
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written by densemy, December 31, 2008 03:38:31
The role of the EC is to MANAGE the electoral process and the electoral roll... as an outsider my assessment is that you have shown that you cant even do that.
Its up to the voters to DECIDE what form and under what rules an election is carried out
.. or have you forgotten Malaysia is a DEMOCRACY
... and as for controlling the media. Well of course you would want to do that cos you cant deal with any form of criticism
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written by Almighty, December 31, 2008 03:36:37
If they want to control the freedom to speak & to critic the BN government. They should go to hell with the idiot Abdul "Ridsect".
If appoint Abdul "Ridsect" as the so call "advisor" is the waste of country money & the laughing joke to our country democracy reforms.
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written by densemy, December 31, 2008 03:29:11
What elections in Malaysia needs is an unbiassed man with ethics working under the direction of a multi party committee
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written by Dualties, December 31, 2008 03:15:56
You wanted to sue the Opposition MPs because of your awareness and realization that the country’s election system needed to be reviewed to give it autonomous power and total control over the election process which was brought up by the Opposition MPs?
You are an absurd character who held the EC tenure for 25 years who did not have the courage to bring up issues on EC for revamp and revision but when highlighted by Opposite MPs you wanted to sue them ??????
In your announcement today at Bernama (on your retirement day) you requested the Government the necessity to review and stop others from making accusations against the EC.
What is your stand? To sue the whistleblowers or join the whistleblowers?
You appeared to be a lost man in the wilderness of heavy heart leaving your grip on EC !
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written by temenggong, December 31, 2008 03:10:58
Even Bangladesh have moved to photo indentification in electoral rolls to prevent double registering or phantom voters.
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written by Rainbowseahorse, December 31, 2008 03:09:53
May the coming New Year be your last!
I wish you, like Mahathir, will have a long lingering illness to give you plenty of time to reflect upon your evil deeds for your own selfish self, and when you die, may you rot in hell!
Amein!
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Some of us can actually file police reports against him personally for abetting, cheating & fraud. When civil servants such as the military are told they must vote for BN, what do you call that kind of "veiled threat" - criminal intimidation, perhaps?
We shld hold another BERSIH gathering & try to garner 500,000 people to tell the govt, unless they clean up the electoral list, do away with postal votes (highly suspicious), we will boycott the next GE. And the new Heads of EC shld be from BN & Opposition, preferably a DAP man;it seems ridiculous & too obvious when the EC reports to the existing govt. Many of us do not trust the present govt. The whole process of elections in Malaysia shld be audited by a foreign audit firm, hopefully one that will be above board. We want some semblance of impartiality, integrity and professionalism, starting from the election process!