As a Malaysian citizen with voting rights, I demand the immediate resignation of Election Commission (EC) chief Abdul Aziz Yusof for making totally unnecessary comments at a recent press conference.
What I expect of the EC chief in regard to the by-elections is to carry out his responsibilities -- conduct elections when necessary and make the necessary administrative announcements that accompany such elections. Leave the rest to parliament. Will the folks who appointed him please censure him and fire him if he does not have the courtesy to resign?
Sound health as decided by compulsory medical check-ups is not a requirement to hold elected office in Malaysia and even oblique references to the possibility of making it a requirement must be avoided. To do so would be patently discriminatory.
It would also add to the constitutional travesty presently inflicting this country for any appointed official administering elections such as Abdul Aziz Yusof to make comments about the requirements for holding office. Kindly shut up.
Neither are you in any position to ask political parties to screen the health of their candidates. Do not, I repeat, do not trammel on sacred constitutional soil. For even vaguely and indirectly moving in such a direction, I demand your immediate resignation.
Do you not know the scope of your duties? Do you have any common sense? Please do not bring more parts of a nation substantially in disrepute for the actions of parts of its government and the police into further disrepute.
It is very unfortunate that several elected representatives have passed away since March 2008; my sincere condolences to their families. But this does not license you to waste citizens' time by quipping about deaths of elected representatives in press conferences.
Stick to the tasks that are required of you. Do not tax your brain by trying to be humourous and in the course of doing so, trivialise what is under serious threat in Malaysia - our freedom.
Making the point that you "never question deaths, we never go to their houses (the deceased politicians) to check or ask their families whether they are really dead", does in no way clarify anything for the citizens' as it is a recognised convention in this country to accept a death certificate issued by the relevant authorities as proof of death.
Making such point is in fact being highly insensitive to the families of recently deceased elected officials -- raising the veneer of totally unfounded doubts for families and friends who may still be grieving their loss. Please apologise before you resign.
Finally, what does Manek Urai not having a KFC outlet have anything to do with the by-elections? Please explain this in your resignation letter. I do not need an EC chief to enlighten me on such matters.
I am shocked that a person who makes such comments at press conferences has something to do with the democratic process in this country. Are we really leaking talent so badly that we have no alternatives?
