𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝟭𝟱𝘁𝗵 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲

Rumours are rife that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob has succumbed to the piling pressure from UMNO President Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and will announce the dissolution of Parliament this afternoon.

For the election outcomes to have legitimacy and to be accepted by all Malaysians, it must be completely fair and free.

The Election Commission and all other relevant agencies should be reminded of the massive backlash generated by the EC’s decision to hold the 14th General Election on a Wednesday.

Here are some initial points for the day. I will follow up with more concerns in the days to come to ensure that the election is free and fair.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗴𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁

Multiple investigations conducted after GE14, especially those done by Tan Sri Ambrin Buang’s Jawatankuasa Siasatan Tadbir Urus, Perolehan dan Kewangan Kerajaan (JSTUPKK), revealed that contracts and deals were still being dished out after the parliament was dissolved in 2018.

The business of the federal government should immediately enter into a caretaker mode in which no policy and financial decisions of consequence should be made until after the next government is formed after the general election.

𝗔𝗱𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘂𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆

All federal, state and local government agencies, including the Election Commission, should practice administrative neutrality to demonstrate that the election processes are genuinely free and fair, and that all contesting parties and candidates are treated fairly and equally.

The voting public is watching and for the victors to emerge from GE15 with legitimacy, no party or candidate should be seen as winning through unfair means.

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗮𝗯𝗮𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗸 𝘃𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀

Voting is a fundamental right for all eligible citizens. No voters should be deprived of their right to vote. The role of the Election Commission is to make it as convenient and easy as possible for voters to get to the polling booths.

As I have been advocating, the Election Commission should make postal voting available to all Sabah and Sarawak voters who reside in Peninsula, allowing them to exercise their rights as voters even if they are in the peninsula and they do not have to fly back to East Malaysia to vote.

Voting for Malaysians overseas should also be made convenient and timely.

𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗲𝗯𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀

All media, whether government or private, should uphold the highest level of integrity and ensure that their conduct during GE15 is fair and just, and be seen this way by the voting public.

All parties and candidates should be given equal access to the media and fair coverage.

There should be at least two sessions of Prime Ministerial debates for aspiring Prime Ministerial candidates from each of the major contesting coalitions.

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

The Election Commission should practice a consultative approach with the national and state-level leaderships of all contesting parties to ensure that decisions by the Election Commission takes into consideration views from all parties, and not to be seen as being biased towards any particular coalition.

𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴

The Election Commission must make known to the public the arrangements for independent election monitoring so that reputable, credible and independent organisations help to ensure that democratic and just elections form the basis for a legitimate government post-GE15.

Liew Chin Tong

DAP National Election Director