'Bersih and the opposition should have demanded for a royal commission instead of agreeing to the parliamentary select committee.'

EC objects to Bersih 2.0 presence in polls panel

Quigonbond: Another jilted lover episode: "She didn't dump me, I dumped her".

Bersih 2.0 already said they would not be in the parliamentary select committee (PSC) because they are not parliamentarians. Election Commission deputy chief Wan Ahmad Wan Omar should read the news first before responding.

By saying that Bersih will disrupt the workings of PSC, the EC shows itself to be prejudiced and unabashedly biased, especially with the Bersih demands being totally reasonable and unlikely be rejected by any right-thinking members of the society.

The EC should stop politicking and instead focus on the reforms it can implement right away - enforce Suhakam's recommendations , indelible ink, get the attorney-general, police and MACC (Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission) to investigate and prosecute all cases of electoral irregularities, and put pressure on the national registry to clean up its records.

If the EC can't handle the job, its commissioners should quit.

New: "This is because the main agenda for discussion will be the management of elections with the purpose to satisfy all contesting political parties," said Wan Ahmad.

What nonsense? How obtuse can this man be? What about the rakyat's aspirations? Wan Ahmad, why are you scared of Bersih 2.0, especially S Ambiga?

Muak: "It is better that the committee is only joined by representatives elected by the people so that there will be no interference."

Does Wan Ahmad have a brain at all or is he just spewing crap? The purpose of the parliamentary select committee on electoral reforms is not to satisfy all contesting political parties.

It is supposed to give the rakyat the confidence that a clean and fair election is conducted. The rakyat must feel so. We don't give a damn about the political parties. And whose side is he on anyway - the rakyat or Umno?

YellowBoxer: The rules of the game should not be drawn up by the contestants. The participants tend to have vested interest in making the playing field to favour its own side.

In that case, Bersih 2.0 being in a neutral position has every right to be included in the PSC. After all, it represents numerous NGOs which are only interested in clean and fair elections.

I do not know how the BN government filled the No 2 post in the EC because it looks like it is not putting the best qualified person to do the job. Was Wan Ahmad recommended by the PSD (Public Service Department) chief or KSN (chief secretary to the government)?

Well, whichever way, he has found himself in EC's employment. He is a misfit of the worst kind. He is clueless as to his role and function in the EC or the role of EC as 'referee' in an electoral contest.

The man brings shame to the country by his less-than-intelligent remarks and would have been given the VSS (Voluntary Separation Scheme) if he was in the private sector because he is a liability to his company.

But unfortunately for Malaysians, he is on the public payroll, assured of employment until retirement.

Tholu: Dear Wan Ahmad, the management of elections is not the business of any political party. The efficient, transparent, fair and clean electoral process is EC's responsibility.

It should be the civil societies representing the voters, more than anyone else, who should be engaged to determine, in accordance with their wishes and desires, an electoral system that would afford a level-playing ground to all contesting political parties.

And what right or authority do you have to decide who and who should be in the PSC? Your dictate gives rise to the inference that you are biased towards the BN government and therefore not neutral as you should be and as the people expect you to be.

No wonder, the people say that the EC is a ‘component member' of BN.

Ghkok: Wan Ahmad is totally illogical in his thinking. The PSC is supposed to be a parliamentary select committee, i.e. it is supposed to be a body set up by Parliament consisting of MPs who are elected by the people.

The EC is an independent and separate body which is not part of Parliament. BN's idea is to invite the EC into the PSC. As a body invited to join the PSC, the EC is therefore a guest in the PSC.

How can it propose to its host that other bodies (i.e. Bersih) be denied entry? Who is Wan Ahmad to propose that? Who does he think he is?

Cascara: Political parties and MPs are clearly interested parties and will certainly be biased if they are included in the PSC without check and balance and endanger a satisfactory polls reform outcome.

In fact , they will be the main obstacles. That is the reason civil society, NGOs and Bersih 2.0 should be involved and form at least a good 50 percent of the representation in the PSC.

Not Convinced: It looks like everyone has fallen into a BN trap. Bersih and the opposition should have demanded for a royal commission instead of agreeing to the parliamentary select committee.

Members of a royal commission can be anyone, including Ambiga, but for a select committee, its members are restricted to MPs. It is expected that the PSC will be headed by a BN politician with its members heavily stacked in favour of the ruling coalition.

But this is not case should there be a royal commission on the EC.

Good men: This is all a charade. We know BN cannot afford to have clean and fair elections. In 2008, they got wind of a possible unfavourable outcome for the 12th GE and quickly cancelled indelible ink.

But they still took a hammering. If they can't cheat this time, they are history.

Faz: Bersih presents the demands of ordinary voters for electoral reforms to fairly and transparently elect a new government when the time is due. These are not political demands to favour or ensure certain political parties to win an election.

If Wan Ahmad is so dumb and does not understand this, then he better pack his bag and leave EC, the so-called neutral agency that conducts elections in Malaysia. You are going to be more a hindrance than a help in the better management of elections.

This shoot-first-and-ask-questions-later attitude from the deputy EC chief is unbecoming of a high-ranking government officer. You are supposed to serve the rakyat and not the other way round.

Garrulous Gary: This civil servant is getting presumptous, isn't he? Someone had better tell this clown it is not in his power to decide who Parliament invites to join the PSC.

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