(Penang, Saturday):
The
Election Commission secretary, Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar’s reminder to
political parties involved in the forthcoming Ketari state by-election in Pahang
not to engage thugs as election workers to avoid untoward incidents is most
welcome, as the Election Commission is vested with the sacred mandate under the
Constitution to conduct free, fair and clean elections as the basis for the
system of parliamentary democracy in Malaysia.
However,
the Election Commission should not confine itself just to reminders to political
parties not to engage thugs as election workers, but should
exercise an overall responsibility
against all improper electoral practices inimical to the
conduct of free, fair and clean elections - such as the Barisan Nasional’s
traditional 3M abuse and misuse of the electoral process, money, mass media and misuse of government machinery and
public resources.
Why
is the Election Commission silent about the politics of money, falsehood, fear
and intimidation which are the Barisan Nasional’s electoral stock-in-trade -
such as the playing of the May 13 card in the elections of the past three
decades and the exploitation of the 911 card after the New York and Washington
tragedy and atrocities?
Shouldn’t
the Election Commission remind radio and television not to repeat the Indera
Kayangan by-election “dirty tricks” of turning newscasts into propaganda channels of the Barisan
Nasional in discharge of its
constitutional mandate to conduct free, fair and clean elections?
The
Election Commission may not have the powers under the present law to stop or
interdict radio and television for improperly and unconstitutionally interfering
with the conduct of free, fair and clean elections, but there is nothing to stop
the Election Commission from discharging its constitutional mandate to conduct
free, fair and clean elections by speaking out publicly at unfair electoral
abuses such as radio and television serving as Barisan Nasional election
electoral instruments in manipulating,
distorting and smearing the opposition on the air-waves night after night in a
by-election or election campaign.
(16/3/2002)