Postal vote fiasco

For some strange reason, the Election Commission has always had this strange ruling in the Election Regulations (Electoral Roll) 2002 and Election Regulations (Postal Votes) 2003 - that only these categories of Malaysians qualify to be postal voters:

• military personnel
• students
• staff of embassies and high commissions, and their spouses

In an article in The Star on 17 Feb 2008, EC secretary Kamaruzaman said: “The law does not provide for ordinary citizens living abroad to cast postal votes. Under the Election Regulations (Electoral Roll) 2002 and Election Regulations (Postal Votes) 2003, only three categories of citizens living overseas are allowed to cast postal votes. Individuals who are keen to vote must come back to Malaysia as there is no other alternative for them to exercise their rights." (http://bersih.org/?p=1008)

With this ruling, it looks like Malaysians who work or live abroad don't qualify unless they're students.

Many overseas students have in the last three months or so have tried to enquire at Malaysian high commissions about their right to vote and the possibility of registering as postal voters. However, none of the responses to their queries have been satisfactory:

• Many have been told they can't, even though the Election Act say they can.
• Many have been told only government scholars are allowed to register as postal voters. (Hmm... I wonder why?)
• High commission staff have no idea what the students are talking about.
• High commission staff tell students to register via the MSD of the universities.
• Students have been discouraged from registering, with staff members asking them not to waste their time voting.

Meanwhile, this article in The Star dated 12 Jan 2008 (http://bersih.org/?p=880) clearly states that Malaysians working in China were encouraged to register as postal voters.

So when I saw an article in NST on 26 Feb 2008 titled "One more day to register as postal voters", I immediately posted the article to friends who I knew were studying abroad as well as in my Facebook groups such as:

• Deny Barisan Nasional a 2/3 Majority in the upcoming General Election
• WCI2
• DAP 12th General Election Campaign
• Vote for a change Malaysia
• E-Democratic Action Party
• VotED
• Free and Fair

My friend Tirath who is studying in Melbourne then quickly sprung into action and somehow managed to alert up to 50 other Malaysian students there to turn up at Malaysia Hall yesterday (27 Feb 2008) and register as postal voters.

They were told that their forms were successfully faxed to the High Comm in Canberra, who will in turn fax them to EC in Malaysia. Hard copies will be couriered to Malaysia today (28 Feb 2008).

Malaysia Hall also said that the High Comm is working later than usual yesterday to fax the forms to Malaysia but Tirath could not confirm that as the High Comm doesn't answer the public phone lines after hours. In theory, EC Malaysia should have started to receive faxed copies of the students' Borang A from Melbourne by around 4.30pm.

Tirath called the EC hotline (03-88856600) to let them know they can expect to receive a lot of Borang A from Australia soon - but the guy didn't sound like he understood what Tirath was going on about.

What was interesting was that no one checked the students' ID to verify they were indeed students. As long as they had ICs and their names were on the electoral roll, they were allowed to register.

The EC had better be prepared for the assault that's gonna be levelled at them once GE2008 is over!!!

Links:
http://thesilo.wordpress.com/2008/02/26/malaysian-students-in-australia-you-have-less-than-24-hours/
http://www.bytebot.net/blog/archives/2008/02/27/registered-to-be-a-postal-voter
http://polytikus.com/2008/02/19/malaysian-students-overseas-you-can-vote/

RM10,000 Reward

Image courtesy of mob1900


Let's send the election cheats and fraudsters to jail where they belong!

http://harismibrahim.wordpress.com/2008/02/25/lets-send-the-election-cheats-and-fraudsters-to-jail-where-they-belong

Tony! Tony! Tony!

The DAP PJU ceramah at SS2 near Waisikkai drew close to 800 people (my estimate). We completely drowned out and overshadowed Chew Mei Fun's do less than 100 metres away. An account of the event can be found here.

It's time for change, my fellow Malaysians!

Kawai!!!

Tony carries Totto outside Puay Chai School on Nomination Day.

* Tony Pua is the parliamentary candidate for PJ Utara. Check him out at www.tonypua.com!

The DAP PJ election website is at www.dapforpj.com.

Democracy Back

Justin Timforchange and Mak Bedah sings Democracy Back.

"People is the Boss: Civil Society Groups' Election Agenda"

I'm helping to plug this event...

In conjunction with the 12th General Election, KLSCAH is going to organize a series seminar on the election, named "The People's Forum". With this effort, we hope to create a platform for the civil society groups to get involved in the election and voice out the people's opinions. We cordially invite the public to participate in the first seminar entitled "People is the Boss: Civil Society Groups' Election Agenda". Organizer: The Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall - Civil Rights Committee, Social Economic Committee & Cutural and Educational Committee Date: 22nd February 2008 (Friday) Time: 8.00pm Venue: Auditorium of KLSCAH ( No.1, Jalan Maharajalela, 50150 Kuala Lumpur. Beside the Maharajalela monorail station. ) For map: http://www.scah.org.my/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=261&forum=16&jump=1 Medium: English and Malay Speakers: 1. Haris Ibrahim (lawyer, initiator of The People's Voice Declaration） 2. Wong Chin Huat (Vice Chairman of Civil Rights Committee of KLSCAH, representative of the Civil Society Initiative for Parliamentary Reform) 3. Gayathry Venkiteswaran (Executive Director of Centre for Independent Journalism, representative of press freedom movement) 4. Yuen-Mei Wong (Independent Researcher, representative of Women's Candidacy Initiative 2 - WCI2) 5. Lee Khai Loon (Convener of Youth for Change and the Coordinator of National Youth Consultation Conference (NYCC)) 6. Representative of Johor Voters awareness campaign Moderator: Lee Huat Seng (Member of DEMA) Our speakers from different civil society groups will propose the people's agenda which includes the democratic reformation, media, youth and so on. Any enquiries kindly contact Mr. Chan at 03-22746645.

Are you a classy shopper?

Well then, head for the stunning Queen Victoria Building in Sydney!

I was there in the first week of February for a political course at the University of Sydney.

Longkang MP strikes again

Source: The Star


http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/2/20/central/20358357&sec=central

This MP has no idea what an MP's job is... just ask her what her track record in Parliament is, if you happen to bump into her as she does her rounds in PJ in the next 2.5 weeks.

Ask her whether putting more cops on the streets and installing more CCTVs is really gonna help if there is no proper and thorough review and restructuring of the police force, as well as the establishment of the IPCMC.

Ask her if she thinks there should be more Chinese and Tamil schools in the country, and ask her why the allocation for vernacular school is so abysmal.

Ask her why she never ever said anything about the body-snatching cases, and what her stand is on the Federal Constitution with regard to freedom of religion.

Ask her why she did not defend women's rights in Parliament when BN MPs disparage and insult women.

Shame on you, CMF.

Don't believe bloggers....

Koh Tsu Koon said "Don't believe bloggers"...

http://www.chanlilian.net/2008/02/19/news-you -may-have-missed-koh-tsu-koon-said-dont-believe-bloggers

Scary Headline #5

"Bashing Govt In Blogs Not Malaysian Culture - Rais"

Oh, but bashing Opposition in the mainstream media is Malaysian culture????

Excerpts:

KUALA LUMPUR Feb 19 (Bernama) -- Bloggers should evaluate themselves before indulging in an unhealthy culture of bashing others, including government leaders, through their blogsites, Culture, Arts and Heritage Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim said.

He said although government bashing in the blogsites was among the challenges faced by the Barisan Nasional (BN) in facing the general election, it was not the nature of BN leaders to resort to using blogsites to attack others in their campaigns to win the elections.

"I am saying that you should look at your own heart to see if it is clean. If it is not, then don't bash others in your blogs," he said after launching a book and compact disc, "Aku Dia dan Lagu-Lagu Nostalgia", by Yusnor Ef at Aswara (National Arts, Culture and Heritage Academy) here today.

"The bloggers are getting bolder, but I see it this way -- the general election is the season for condemning or "killing" others with words but this is not BN culture. I suggest that they attend courses on good manners as good manners is Malaysian culture."

24 Feb, 8 March

That's the Nomination and Election Day dates.

Stay tuned for more.

13 days for campaign period. WOO HOO!!!!!

Kit Siang's response to Dissolution of Parliament

This was the immediate Response on Parliament Dissolution by YB Lim Kit Siang, Malaysian Parliamentary Opposition Leader, 13 February 2008, at 12.45pm, DAP Headquarters.

Only 1% said leaders must be proven to be capable

In an article titled "Bread and butter matters" in The Star today (see http: ), the last paragraph really says it all.

Prof Dr Syed Arabi said 2% of respondents expressed concern over internal and external threats and considered the rising number of vehicles as a bane, while only 1% said leaders must be proven to be capable.

Are Malaysians in general that dumb or the question was framed in such a way that it elicited such a response?

Wow.