The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (BERSIH 2.0) upholds the need for delineation of electoral constituencies and insists that such delineation must comply with the principles for free and fair elections stipulated in the Federal Constitution.
BERSIH 2.0 has monitored the progress of the delineation work conducted by the Election Commission of Malaysia (EC). The result of this work is the delineation report (recommendations) which Parliament is expected to endorse by a simple majority next week.
On Wednesday, BERSIH 2.0 will submit a memorandum to the Speaker of Parliament Tan Sri Pandikar Amin and Prime Minister Najib Razak, to lay before them the reasons why Parliament should not give effect to the recommendations contained in the delineation report.
BERSIH 2.0 is flabbergasted by the blatant disregard by the Election Commission, the Prime Minister and the Speaker of Parliament and potentially all members of the government and backbenchers for the following reasons:
First, there are cases pending in the courts with respect to the delineation process conducted by the Election Commission. One of the cases has 107 plaintiffs representing 10,000 voters! We are flabbergasted that the government and Parliament display such disrespect for the judiciary.
Second, prior to presenting the report to the Prime Minister, the Election Commission failed to hear objections from many members of the public who submitted objections in conformity with the Federal Constitution.
Third, the Federal Constitution anticipates that the Election Commission requires two years from giving public notice of the proposed delineation to submitting a Report to the Prime Minister. The Election Commission published the notice on September 15, 2016. Therefore, the Election Commission has about six more months to complete its work (until September 14, 2018).
The Election Commission has displayed extreme bad faith and lack of respect for voters and their rights by submitting the report to the Prime Minister while cases are pending before the courts. This is not the first time that the EC has bulldozed its way through the democratic process in order to legitimise clear attempts to skew the elections in favour of the ruling coalition and thereby derail clean and fair elections.
In view the cases before the courts and the violation of voters’ right to have their objections heard, the Prime Minister and the Speaker should immediately withdraw the Report from Parliament. The Speaker of Parliament should not allow the tabling and debate of the report until all legal challenges are heard in court and decided by the judiciary.
BERSIH 2.0 urges all Malaysians to join us as at the gates of Parliament as we submit a memorandum to the Speaker of Parliament. We must stand up and defend the right to elect a government that is the peoples’ choice. The blatant misuse of power and unchecked violations to the constitution cannot be allowed to continue.
KELUAR MENGUNDI, KALAHKAN PENCURI.
Issued by:
BERSIH 2.0 Steering Committee