• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

DON'T PANIC DR M! ELECTION WATCH under attack n 26 Feb., 1990, six COO· ELECIION WATCH only have now grown accthlomed to, cemed Malaysians issued a wants free and fair elections, he lashed out at what he percetved press statement announcmg 0 says ANIL NETTO below as a mere extension of the Opposi­ the formation of Elect.Jon Watch. tion and accused the group'<; It was a dramatic and unprece­ where he outlines the role of members of bias. dented development m MalaySian the group. Dr Mahathir's tirade appeared electoral history - though such to s1gnal the green light for his Yes groups are not uncommon in other Ministers to jo1n in the fray. \\llen parts of the world. process. Th~ . 27 Feb. came and Ministers were subsequently Already, it is apparent that went without any offictal response. approached for comment. they certain quaners are feeling most Indeed, government reaction was invanably parotted the official res­ uncomfortable. One tends to deafening in its silence. Perhaps, ponse to the effect that the forma­ wonder why officials were frantically trying to tion of I::Jection \htch was "not In their statement, the six srud get through to Lusaka? necessary''. That was the best Lee their sense of duty and responsi­ Kim Sai (now Datuk Lee, if you bility had prompted them to come OFFICIAL REACTION don't mind), Datuk Abdullah together to do their bit to ensure Badawi and Datuk Dr Yusof Noor Then. on 28 Feb. on prime time that the corning elections would could come up with - uncanny TV news, Malaysians were treated be free and flllf. how they sounded like the) were to press conference called by the This informal group comprises a reading from the same script. Election Commission. Jts Secretary, the distinguished founer Lord Presi­ dent Tun Mohamad Suffian Hastum Haji Rashid .Abdul Rahman, made a MEDIA RESPO~SE spectacle of himself with a bitter (chairman), the respected former The newspapers were not to be Auditor-General Tan Sn Ahmad and rambling attack on Election Watch. Among other things, he outdone, either. The Star, Business Noordm Zakana, former Bar Coun­ Times and the &hna ~WaySta cil Chairmen and prominent human accused the group of being ann­ government and of being out to dailies all dished out subsement, rights activists, Raja Aziz Addruse pathetic editorials whi::h v.""ere not and Datuk Param Cumaraswamy, discredit the CornmtSSJon. With Dr Mahathir back in town, worth the pa~r the} v.<!re written Aliran president Dr Chandra Muzaf­ on. The caJlUOD of the Star's things were beginmng to wam1 up. far and BMF Committee of lnquuy cornrnem sa1d It all - ..EJection On 1 March, m one of his emo­ member Chooi Mun Sou. Watch. What v.ornes the autho­ tional outbursts which Malaysians rities" Clearl} , Star's V.K. Chin GROWING UNEASINESS has an astonisltin£ry tdepathlc The formation of Elect1on understanding of 'OI.fut worries the Watch has to be viewed agamst the authonties. [\'tO Dr t.Wlathir backdrop of a growmg uneasmess would ba\e bad trouble matching and a feeling that all is not well in his comment. our electoral process. It comes at a The 1\'ST, on the other hand, time when all sorts of allegations wasted no ume 111 commg up with have been flying around. Such a fell. .. Letters to the Editor", allegations, if not thoroughly inves­ predictably condemning Election tigated, can do untold harm in Watch. One suspects that certain undermirling public confidence in local dailies are employing that old our electoral process. cheap trick that is, the Editor (or Immediate official reaction to his proxy) writing to himself! the setting up of Election Watch This would gtve the impressiOn that was somewhat muted. Not sur­ the public is against the fonnation prisingly, perhaps - for, after all , of Election Watch, when the reality Dr Mahathir was busy in distant is otherwise. Lusaka greeting Nelson Mandela But then, one should not expect and trying to enhance his own THE PM: " ELECTION WATCH too much from our easil) murni­ stature as a "world leader" in the WITH ONE EYE." dated and govemment<onttoUed 2 media. CLEARING UP MISCONCEPTIONS Let us now look at some irra­ tional and illogical arguments put forward against the formation of Election Watch - arguments that are very easily rebutted. Election Watch is not necessary. After aU, we have the Election Commission, an independent body responsible for the conduct of free and fair elections - and our elec­ tions have been free, in the past. Election Watch is not out to usurp the legitimate and consti­ tutional role of the Election Com­ mt~ion. It is not hell-bent on dis­ crediting the Commtssion in the e}es of the public. As an illustra­ DATUK LEE KIM SAl; DATUK ABDULLAH BADAWI : tion, Kuala Lumpur City Police PARROTTED THE OFFICIAL RESPONSE have "urged the public, particularly residents of housing estates, to set safeguarding and upholding the If we look at recent events, we up Neighbourhood Watch groups to independence of the Commission. will see that public perception of beat crime. Such groups could act EJection Watch is merely an the Election Commission, even as the eyes and ears of the police ... " ex t~nsion of the Opposition. Its before the formation of Election (NST, 12 March 1990). There is no members are known to be anti­ Watch, was already at a low ebb - question here of Lhese groups government. They are just a frus­ as a result of various discrepanctes. usurptng the legitimate role of the trated Jot out for cheap publk ity. allegations and unattended com­ police. Instead, such groups are Members of Election Watch are plaints. Election Watch was formed meant to complement the police in not members of any political party with the intention of strengthening their efforts to combat crime. nor have they ever championed the credibility and mdependence of the Commission. 1 ~ you like, Election Watch does partisan interests. Some of them not see its role as that oC a "blood­ have been outspoken critics of the hound" but rather as one of a present administration, yes, but CONCLUSION '"watchdog". ln recent months, always in defence of fundamental When one analyses the offictaJ many independent bodies e.g. the democratic principles like JUstice, response to the formation of Elec­ Judiciary and public interest groups freedom and integrily which tion Watch, it is easy to see that have been intimidated by a power­ have taken a severe beating in those in power do not take too ful Executive. Election Watch recent times. It is on record that kindly to any group trying to assert wants to make sure that the Elec­ Election Watch members have also some measure of independence in tron Commission does not suffer criticized the Opposition on many Malaysian public life. Why the near the same fate. occasions for taking extreme posi­ hysteria by our leaders over the Nobody appointed them. Who tions on various ethnic and religious formation of Election Watch? After do they think they an seiVing? ISSues. The public can rest assured all, what has Election Watch Election Watch has no right to that Election Watch - led by a actually done to deserve such ~n t the pubtic. former Lord President of the criticism? It ts the duty of every citizen Supreme Court and comprising Election Watch is, in reality, a to stand up in support of the some of the finest and most upright group of concerned citizens who ·democratic process. Free elections of Malaysian citizens - will be genuinely desire free and fair are the cornerstone of a parlia­ totally impartial in all its dealings. elections. Deftnitely nothing wrong mentary democracy. Cnizens have Indeed, its members have absolute­ with that. MalaySians should laud the right to be concerned about ly nothing to gain from their parti­ their efforts and support them unhealthy electoral practices. Al­ cipation in the group. wholeheartedly. though laws have been enacted to The fonnation of Election Let's end with Dr Mahathir's provtde for the tndependence of the Watch in ittelf has railed doubts mocking words - "Election Watch Election Commission. our system IS about the effectiveness of the with one eye," he quipped, blinking by no means foolproof Hence, it is Election Colllllllssion and has one eye (NST, 2 March 1990). all the more important for ordinary undennined the Commission's That's a whole lot better than citizens to be espectally vigilant in credibility. voting with both eyes shut. • 3 ''Great'' Minds & Newspapers Think Alike ... reactions to formation of Election Watch Bow can we recop.ise the group? They comprise p~ple who are already opposed to the Gove,rmnent. - Election Commission secretary Hajt'Rlzshid~bdulRahnum, THE STAR, 1/3/90. ) - Dutuk Lee Kim Sai, NST, 5/3/90. They do not haY~ good iritentions.Jhey ar.e biased and anti-Government ... they can only watch with I one eye. >- - Dr Mahathir Xlohamad, THE STAR. 2/3~90. - Datuk Dr YusofNor, NST, 7/3/90. EXCEPTS FROM SO-CALLED LETTERS TO SO-CALLED NEWSPAPER EDITORS. There is more than an ounce of truth iri the PM's statement that the group was not as neutral as it claimed. All six have been the Government's fault­ There is no need for Election fmders and it is quite obvious that their inclusion is Watch. What is needed is a close due to the anti~blishment roles they have played in the past few yean. watch on Election Watch ... - V .K. Chin, THE STAR, 3/3/90. .. These self-styled and annoioted apostles of propriety have taken upon themselves Tun Hakim SuffWl adalah seorang yang lebih to be arbitors of an established dikenali sebagai WOO (Western Oriented Gendeman order and made judgement in their biased views ..

Load more

  44

Copy Link