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Sakmongkol ak 47

ariff.sabri@gmail.com

Monday 24 June 2013

The Case for Electoral Reforms



One of the most important objectives of the Black 505 Rally that took place on the 22 of June (622) was to ask for the resignation of the chiefs of SPR. It stands accused of impartiality, perpetuating and abetting electoral fraud, refusing to clean the electoral rolls and acting hapless when called upon to act on the massive discrepancies in electoral registers. The Chairman and the Deputy of the EC stood out as exemplars of Little Stalins impervious to demands for the EC to facilitate democracy not to hinder and suffocate it.
Never in the history of Malaysia, has the SPR been overtly political. The two people helming SPR are seen to be the most politically proactive. Their political adventures and frolics lead people to justifiably conclude that the SPR is but another satellite of the BN. it is a tool serving the interests of the BN government. It therefore stands of the side of the Oppressor.
Our SPR has complete lost its credibility and integrity as an independent commission answerable to The Agong. Does the Agong countenance fraud and partiality of the SPR? The SPR must not only actually behave with extreme impartiality, but it must also be seen to behave as such.
With the SPR unmoved and bull-headed, we are going to be far way yet from radical electoral reforms- that is, if we are thinking about asking the present government to adopt proportional representation or something like that. The SPR has positioned itself as an utterly unreasonable umpire; declining to direct itself to address the issues that are wholly under its responsibility. (1) Clean the electoral rolls (2) perform its duties honestly and with integrity (3) justify itself as an instrument facilitating democracy.
Let us begin by asking the EC to do the most basic things first. Tackle the issues of gerrymandering and mal-apportionment.  
Boundaries are drawn and redrawn by the incumbent so as to give them advantage. Hence, the average voter density for BN candidates as a whole is less than voter density in PR constituencies.
And yet this argument cannot be carried too far so as to invite unreasonable fears on the incumbent government. Only certain states show the problem is serious. Pahang for example has the curious anomaly that the number of eligible voters in Pekan is 80,000. It is bigger than the voting public in Kuantan. Maybe it’s time to split up the Pekan parliament into two. It’s strange to realise that a part which is physically in Kuantan is in the Pekan parliamentary area. The army camp at the 9th Mile Kuantan-KL road is a case in point. Najib can have his 50,000 voting public and allow EC to create an additional parliamentary area for Pekan.
The problem is most pronounced in Selangor. The 5 parliamentary seats won by BN have an average voter density of 54,000. The average density for the 17 seats won by Pakatan is 99,000. Every seat won by Pakatan is worth 2 BN seats. Clearly Selangor is the top candidate to address the issue of gerrymandering.
Voter density in BN seats-GE13
parliament
Eligible voters
(in 000)
Sabak bernam
37
Sg besar
42
Tg karang
42
Kuala selangor
62
Hulu selangor
85
average
54

If the average voter density desired is around 54,000 then, Selangor can create another 30 seats. The voter density for Pakatan ranges from 80,000 in PJ Selatan to 144,000 in Kapar. The median density for Pakatan is 112,000. You can see the glaring injustice in voter apportionment.

In Kelantan, Tumpat, Kota Bharu and Bachok are possible candidates for re-delineation as they have abnormal voter density for that state. In Kedah the places with high voter density are (1) Kuala Kedah (2) Pendang (3) Pokok Sena(4) Merbok (5) Sungai Petani and (6) Baling. In Terengganu, constituencies such as KT,Kemaman and Marang have higher voter density than the rest in Terengganu.
The spectre of unwanted revised delineation is not too scary for the BN government.
Was the average voter represented by the party of their choice? BN got 133 seats supported by 5.24 million voters. BN has 47% of the total votes but obtained 60% of the parliamentary votes. Surely this is a travesty of natural justice. PR won 50% of the popular votes but had to accept 40% of the parliamentary seats. You end up with the result that 50% of the voters felt they are not represented at all. That is because, we followed the winner takes all electoral system which we inherited from the British Raj.
UMNO and BN won the day only because they are saved by the ill effects of gerrymandering and mal-apportionment.
An Honest SPR/EC.
The good things we disinherit. When the first elections were held in 1955, we did not need polling and counting agents. Election officials did their work honestly. Contestants did what they must do at that time- contest against each other. The business of managing the electoral process was left with the elections officials at that time.
They took care of everything mindful of their impartiality and desire to present the true results. After voting closed, contestants could get back to their houses and allowed the elections people do the counting. Contestants could trust these officials not tempering with the counting, not allowing people to vote twice, not allowing non-citizens to vote. Contestants were called after the counting finished and assembled at the town or municipal hall to hear the declaration of the outcome.

12 comments:

Anonymous,  24 June 2013 at 11:15  

Fraud was pervasive.
On Election Day, I was lining behind a lady with a 20+ daughter beside her. The daughter was complaining that her name disappeared mysteriously from the electoral roll even though she checked a couple of weeks ago and found her name was in the roll.
This is just my eye-witness account. Imagine that almost every non-Malay's encounter with such fraud, and the cheating would snow ball into one massive con game that powered BN/UMNO to Putrajaya.

yum,  24 June 2013 at 12:00  

Hi Anon 11:15,

I have supported the opposition for eons.

I don't particularly like some of the BN politicians. I also think this country needs to go through a inside-out cleansing that only a change of government can effect.

But, come on, seriously, all these allegations of cheating at the polls, and all these 505 rallies are to what end? Topple the government?

Show us the proof. Like you, every one I know is talking about someone I know, or a friend of a friend. All everyone has are allegations. Jeez.

I think Pakatan should just get on with being a responsible opposition. Show us you can govern well, esp in Selangor. Please don't show a huge financial reserve when we know the parks and roads are not being maintained well.

A DAP Supporter

bumi-non-malay 24 June 2013 at 13:05  

Menunggu UMNO-BN buat SPR reform adalah bagaikan ...Tunggu NERAKA Beku salji ais.

Tak menghairankan UMNO-BN takut 60% rakyat Malaysia teruskan Bantah, Rally , protest Occupy. Apa lagi rakyat boleh buat turunkan KOS hidup?? Maaf terpaksa cakap Kasar... Ubah Cara Hidup?? Bangsat betul Muhiddin UMNO-Bn cakap besar.
Tak suka Pentabiran UMNO-BN apa rakyat boleh Buat...Hijrah Ke Negara lain..... Lagi bangsat itu Zahid Hamidi. Ingat nak Hijrah ke negara lain macam minum air?? #$%^&*!

Cara yang lebih senang ialah UBAH dan Kuburkan UMNO. Walau pun Rakyat berjaya, tapi TIPU Pilihanraya bermakna Minoriti UMNO-BN harus dengar Suara Marah Rakyat Malaysia. Tapi perangai Angkuh dan Bongkak UMNO ubah corak adalah bagaikan tunggu Neraka sejuk macam musim salji!!

Tinggal lagi Satu Cara...OCCUPY, Protest, Bantah....wear Black on Merdeka 2013 Kat Dataran Merdeka.

Masa tunggu dah lepas 30 tahun...Perubahan Mesti berlaku Tahun INI!! Hapuskan atau Kuburkan UMNO .... INI ZAMAN PERUBAHAN!! Kita Mahu KEBENARAN...bukan Penipuan!!

Unknown 24 June 2013 at 14:50  

Salam, syabas and now you are officially DAP lawmaker! Make a great difference and join the ranks of the BN shakers and wke-up callers1
Saw TPM MY yawning during the swearing - ins!
Sock it to them bro, beginning with the Raub Gold Mines!
Selamat Berjuang everyone,too! You are in good cerebral company hope this time there will be more civilised debates instead of Pasar atmosphere!
Congratulations, on a good first day in Parliament!
Syabas, DAP, PAS and PKR!

Anonymous,  24 June 2013 at 16:26  

Dato,
I think we are in for a long haul. There is no way BN and EC will want to change the system.
The only alternative is for the Opposition to boycott the next general elections if they refuse to reform the system.
UMNO don't care a damn about fairness. All it wants is to stay in power. The end justify the means.
The Opposition has to take hard stand, go international to expose the fraud.I personally feel cheated. I got my children to return home to vote. We had hope. We have been cheated by the Government. Who else to trust.

Anonymous,  24 June 2013 at 18:59  

I wonder why the Agong is keeping mum. As a Ruler do you think he should find out the reasons for the people's anger towards the EC and the conduct of the GE.
Do you think he should sack the EC?

Then who else will listen tot eh Rakyat's cry?

(Not actually mum. He asked us to accept the results of the GE (sic))

Anonymous,  24 June 2013 at 21:19  

One thing is for sure is that you can never trust UMNO,EC,the police & all their cronies to take care of the rakyat welfare & safeguarding our country. These people are the real Devils in disguise & if we don't do anything about them,our beloved country will one day be ruined by them. May God save us from them.

Anonymous,  25 June 2013 at 13:04  

Dato'

Syabas and congrats.

Anonymous,  25 June 2013 at 13:11  

Then dont develop city and township if rural area is immaterial? We cannot judge by density only. Rural area which is less density has got its own function in nation building. Density is not mere reason.Opposition feel of its advantage only if they talk about density because it is full of non Malays and people prone to opposition. Therefore area of coverage also is of equal important.

Anonymous,  26 June 2013 at 09:48  

Every sensible citizen knows that the goverment is not cheating in any general elction.
Is is in fact a challenge to the oposition knowing that the majority of the Malays still trust the BN for peace and harmony.You cannot deny that and simply make wild accusation.

1Crony,  27 June 2013 at 19:03  

Seronok pula membaca blog Tuan Sak yang dilapik dengan fakta dan alasan. Tapi kesian juga saya melihat apabila menjenguk blog Aspan Alias (rakan DAP Tuan Sak yang macam Kucing Hitam yang tak makan 12 hari), beliau asyik menyerang Anwar, PR dan DAP.

Untung juga UMNO kerana mendapat Cybertrooper tua percuma tanpa mengeluarkan modal jutaan ringgit, hanya modal "ahli kecewa" sebagai cagaran. Kesian beliau dengan falsafah dan perumpamaan yang ibaratkan seorang ibu dalam filem "batu belah batu bertangkup". Untuk Tuan Sak teruskan dengan politik bijak Tuan, semoga beroleh kejayaan yang lebih nyata.

Anonymous,  29 June 2013 at 06:17  


Why blame the SPR now ?.Just because PR lost an election they start blaming the system.You don't have to go to the streets disrupting peace loser!.SPR won't change a proven system to suit you.They can continue improving it.

Too bad PR.You cannot accept defeat gracefully.Now show us you too can govern.Show us you can solve Selangor water issues, the rubbish collection problems and the potholes and poor road maintenance on the road in Selangor else we vote you out.

One fool above is dragging the Agong into politics.Don't ever try.We read you.

1crony,

Dulu apabila Pak Aspan gila gila hentam UMNO/ BN anda sanjong dia.Apsbils bisu benar benar menonjolkan kepincangan Anwar gila, DAP dan PR yang kalah anda tidsk bersetuju.Sebsb tidak sealoran kan?.Guns sikit akal tu.


Semut Api.

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