EC Chairman
Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman
The Star reported: The Election Commission chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman said:(Note: His extension as EC Chairman was opposed by Malaysians, Read HERE and HERE and here why he is unfit to be EC Chairman)“There are those who take to the streets (telling lies) and getting the publicity, and we (the Election Commission) suffer.
If we have the power to sue, we can take action against those who spread lies without evidence.These people are traitors (for hurting the image of the country).
Vote-rigging is not possible here because the electoral boxes are there in front of the eyes of the agents (representing the candidates and parties) at all times."
Commentary:
"... I am astounded by his statement.
What is the use of EC if it can't even defend its own image and credibility?Does the EC needs to be given special power to sue? I do not think so.
The chairman, on the behalf of EC, can file a defamation case against any critic. I am not surprised if what Abdul Rashid really wanted is power to put someone in jail without trial.
Despite his experience of running elections over the past many years, the EC chairman's understanding of the electoral process seems to be quite limited.
Fraud and vote rigging can be conducted through many ways e.g. phantom voters, vote buying, unfair access to media, sheer financial strength etc.
This is why the calls to clean up the electoral roll must be acted upon.
Even Dr Mahathir has warned of possible vote buying in the upcoming elections.
For example in Germany, the publicly funded broadcasting stations are obligated to provide equal access to all politicians regardless of their affiliation. The access is important so that voters are well informed of their choice and selection of candidates.
Abdul Rashid should ask for power to prosecute and punish those who played dirty in the upcoming elections and not power to sue critics.
The inability of the EC and its chairman to accept open criticisms does not augur well for the openness and transparency of the institution."
".... This is the civil servant that a BN or rather UNMO-dominated Parliament changed the sacred Constitution in order to allow him an extra year or two to serve.
Now, he has the damn cheek to want the power to sue critics who make allegations against the EC.
Basically he wants to silence anyone who raises complaints against him and the several unexplained decisions and actions of the EC.
For all the trouble Parliament was dragged through to extend his service above the mandatory retirement age, he still hasn’t a clue about the duty of the public service.
The public service is the servant of the public. Any citizen or even a foreigner served badly or otherwise by the public service has the right to criticise and even make accusations against a serving public servant, provided the accusations are related to the official duties of the public servant.
The public servant has the right of reply, producing where necessary evidence to refute the accusations, allegations or even lies as this so-called Tan Sri had the nerve to whinge about.
The onus shall always be on the public servant to demonstrate that the accuser has been incorrect, and not for the accuser to defend his or her accusations.
That is the convention of public services in democracies.
The fact that Abdul Rashid has asked for the power to sue, indicates that the public service has not been provided the power to sue anyone, for a damn good reason - that is not within its rights or terms of reference as a public service. More importantly it is to deny such public service the powers to intimidate the public into silence.
As a public service, the burden is on the institute and its officers to demonstrate to the public that it is not incompetent, corrupt or has deviated from official government policies.It must always be transparent, accountable and responsive to public concerns, queries or complaints.
If Abdul Rashid is so thin skin, then I recommend that he should retire, resign or just get out of the Election Commission and indeed, out of our face.
As if that was not enough, the bloke even has the nerve to make a political statement by criticising his accusers who complained of vote-rigging: “These people are traitors (for hurting the image of the country).”
Whether those accusers are traitors or not is not for you, Abdul Rashid, a public servant, to open your big mouth to say.You should immediately apologise for your reckless slandering of members of the Malaysian public.
And ominously he spoke of his own organisation’s 'incompetency', by advising that 17,000 people who registered during the last quarter of last year may not be able to vote if investigations could not be completed before the elections.
How difficult is it to confirm a mere 17,000 people?..."
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