EC must start with a completely new slate with new Chairman and Deputy Chairman if it is to command full public confidence

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, announced today that the Election Commission (EC) will be reporting to a parliamentary select committee (PSC) from now.

He said he was transferring his office’s responsibility to oversee the election regulator to Parliament where a panel comprising members from both sides of the political divide would help improve its credibility.

He said: “With this step, it is hoped that the EC’s independence will no longer be questioned and the people’s confidence will be strengthened towards the EC.”

Without the details, it is not possible to comment intelligently on this move, although it is a step in the right direction.

It would have been more proper for Najib to have full consultation with the Pakatan Rakyat MPs on the this proposal before any announcement is made – so that it would be seen as an innovation which has received bipartisan discussion and support, including the full details involved.

Offhand, pending full details of the proposal, let me state that the Election Commission must start with a completely new slate with a new Chairman and Deputy Chairman if it is to command full public confidence, as the present Chairman and Deputy Chairman had operated as if they are Barisan Nasional protoganists and politicians in taking on Pakatan Rakyat leaders.