NST: 06 March, 2008
KOTA KINABALU: Barisan Nasional would have preferred the use of indelible ink in the general election to check multiple voting. “The BN would have certainly welcomed such a move, but if it cannot be done, we cannot just forget our election… we go ahead,” Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said yesterday.
He lamented that the opposition would be happy as now they had an excuse to tell the whole world why they could not succeed in the election.
“They (opposition) will tell the whole world they were cheated because it is the best excuse for them,” he said.
Election Commission chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman announced on Tuesday that indelible ink would not be used on polling day, citing the absence of legal provisions for its use and breach of security.
Abdullah also dismissed the opposition’s allegation that the decision was a ploy by the BN to cheat in the election.
“The BN has won many elections. This (election) is not the first time. It is not even the second or third time, but the 12th time and all the elections were conducted very well.
“We have been successful because we did not cheat. We did well because we worked very hard,” he said after addressing a meet-the-people session at Sekolah Menengah Kian Kok here.
Abdullah said previous elections were conducted very well because the EC was helmed by a chairman with vast experience.
“But they (opposition) have a lot of excuses. They accuse (others) of cheating,” he said.